Artis Ostups (1988) is a Latvian poet, he has studied philosophy at the University of Latvia, and attended the Charles University in Prague, he is currently editor in chief of the online magazine Punctum, as well as an author of essays on literature and philosophy. His poems have been published in some of the major literary periodicals and magazines in Latvia, such as Karogs, Kultūras Forums, Latvju Teksti, and the Satori.lv web-magazine. Like for all young poets, translation of highly meritorious literary works has been part of Ostups' creative journey – he participated in the translation of Walt Whitman's selected works in 2011, and alongside Arvis Viguls worked on the translation of the collection of Dmitry Sumarokov's poetry Café Europe, nominated for the Annual Literary Award in 2014. His début collection Comrade Snow/ Biedrs Sniegs (2010) was praised instantly by many readers, and nominated for the Latvian Literary Award as the best début, and received the special Ojārs Vācietis award. His second collection Photograph and Scissors/ Fotogrāfija un šķēres (2013) has been widely reviewed by literary critics and attentive readers. His writing is characterised as clear and precise, genius and professional, powerful and distilled, without redundant and abundant colours – in stead he uses words to create sharp black&white pictures that connect history and present, imagination and awareness of actual and tangible experience. His poetry is unobtrusive and highly sensitive, framing exquisitely meaningful moments as photographies, pregnant with underlying contexts. Elements of prose-poetry are often met in his writing. Poems by Artis Ostups have been published in English in the Literature Across Frontiers platform, translated into German, Russian, French, Czech, Slovenian, Croatian, and Lithuanian, and his talent has been recognised in the international literary circles. In 2016, his third collection of poems, Gestures, was published.
Žesti [Gestures]. Riga: Neputns, 2016.
Fotogrāfija un šķēres [Photography and Scissors]. Riga: Mansards, 2013.
Biedrs Sniegs [Comrade Snow]. Riga: Mansards, 2010.
Books to fall for
Best translated poetry 2023 (vote) // 15min, November, 2023 [LT]
Lauris Veips. Saying what you mean: trends in recent Latvian poetry // Versopolis, March 2023 [EN]
In Estonian and Latvian poems, jokes are made about the neighbors // Viro-instituutti.fi, March 2023 [FI]
Don't look the Latvian in the eye. Ball of introverts. Anthology of new Latvian poetry // Sirp, January, 2023 [EE]
IntroVersIon poetry from Latvia // signaturen-magazin.de, March 2022 [GER]
Artis Ostups, Šī sala pilna trokšņu, essay on truth, power, and literature // Online magazine Punctum, 2015 [LV
Artis Ostups, poetry // Guernica magazine of art & politics, 2012 [EN]
Sabine Walther. Recommended book: Young poetry from Latvia // sabinewalther-bücher.de, October 2022 [GER]
Kristina Marie Darling, Denied Pasts and Invented Tethers, review of Gestures // Tupelo Quarterly, 2019 [EN]
Anna Auziņa, Un atkal modernisms, review of Gestures // Online magazine Punctum, 2016 [LV]
Arvis Viguls, Trešā persona, review of Photography and Scissors // Diena.lv, 2013 [LV]
Katrīna Rudzīte, Klusās fotogrāfijas, review of Photography and Scissors // Online magazine Satori, 2013 [LV]
2014, Latvju Teksti Poem Contest Prize for the poem Trīs fotogrāfijas/ Three Photographies
2014, shortlisted for Latvian Literature Award as the Best Book of Poetry for Photography and Scissors
2011, Ojārs Vācietis Award special prize for Comrade Snow
2010, shortlisted for the Annual Latvian Literature Award as the Best Debut for Comrade Snow
Gestures
Gestures (Žesti)
Title
: GesturesTitle*
: ŽestiAuthors
:Translated by
:Genre
:Poetry
Language
:English
Pages
:64
Year
:2018
Copyrights
:The author, the translator
Synopsis
:Gestures is a collection of prose poems connecting seemingly distinct elements, found either in urban space or in the realms of cultural history.
GESTAI ir kt. eilėraščiai
GESTAI ir kt. eilėraščiai (Fotogrāfija un šķēres; Žesti; Variācijas par mēness tēmu)
Title
: GESTAI ir kt. eilėraščiaiTitle*
: Fotogrāfija un šķēres; Žesti; Variācijas par mēness tēmuAuthors
:Translated by
:Genre
:Poetry
Language
:Lithuanian
Publisher
:Bazilisko ambasada
Pages
:88
Year
:2023
Copyrights
:The author
Dzeja. Antologija sodobne latvijske poezije
Dzeja. Antologija sodobne latvijske poezije (Latvijas dzejas antoloģija)
Title
: Dzeja. Antologija sodobne latvijske poezijeTitle*
: Latvijas dzejas antoloģijaAuthors
: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,Translated by
: , , , , , , ,Genre
:Anthology
Language
:Slovenian
Publisher
:Vilenica, Slovenia
Pages
:150
Year
:2016
Copyrights
:Authors
Synopsis
:Anthology in Slovenian of contemporary Latvian poetry.
Revija malih književnosti. Latvija
Revija malih književnosti. Latvija (Mazo literatūru pārskats. Latvija)
Title
: Revija malih književnosti. LatvijaTitle*
: Mazo literatūru pārskats. LatvijaAuthors
: , , , , , ,Genre
:Anthology
Language
:Croatian
Publisher
:Booksa, Croatia
Pages
:93
Year
:2015
Copyrights
:Authors
Synopsis
:Anthology in Croatian of contemporary Latvian literature.
Kaip visuomet
Kaip visuomet (Pavasaris būs)
Title
: Kaip visuometTitle*
: Pavasaris būsAuthors
: , , , ,Translated by
:Genre
:Anthology
Language
:Lithuanian
Publisher
:Lithuanian Union of Writers, Lithuania
Pages
:208
Year
:2012
Copyrights
:Authors
Synopsis
:Selected poetry of contemporary Latvian authors in Lithuanian.
Poetry Wales. Latvia via Wales: contemporary Latvian poets in translation. No.2, 2017
Poetry Wales. Latvia via Wales: contemporary Latvian poets in translation. No.2, 2017 (Mūsdienu latviešu dzejnieki Velsas literārajā žurnālā)
Title
: Poetry Wales. Latvia via Wales: contemporary Latvian poets in translation. No.2, 2017Title*
: Mūsdienu latviešu dzejnieki Velsas literārajā žurnālāAuthors
: , , , , , , ,Translated by
: , , , , , ,Genre
:Anthology
Language
:English
Publisher
:Poetry wales, United Kingdom
Pages
:96
Year
:2017
Copyrights
:The contributors
Synopsis
:Poetry translations of poets that participated in poetry translation workshops in Riga and in Wales.
Ανθολογία νέων Λετονών ποιητών
Ανθολογία νέων Λετονών ποιητών (Jauno latviešu dzejnieku antoloģija)
Title
: Ανθολογία νέων Λετονών ποιητώνTitle*
: Jauno latviešu dzejnieku antoloģijaAuthors
: , , , , , , , , , , ,Translated by
:Genre
:Anthology
Language
:Greek
Publisher
:Vakxikon, Greece
Pages
:154
Year
:2019
Copyrights
:The publisher, the translator
Synopsis
:Anthology of young Latvian poets
Jos unohdat oman nimesi
Jos unohdat oman nimesi (Ja aizmirsti savu vārdu)
Title
: Jos unohdat oman nimesiTitle*
: Ja aizmirsti savu vārduAuthors
: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,Translated by
:Genre
:Anthology
Language
:Finnish
Publisher
:Palladium Kirjat, Finland
Pages
:143
Year
:2020
Copyrights
:The publisher, the translator, the authors
Synopsis
:Anthology of 15 contemporary Latvian poets
Introvertide ball. Läti uue luule antoloogia
Introvertide ball. Läti uue luule antoloogia (Dzejas antoloģija)
Title
: Introvertide ball. Läti uue luule antoloogiaTitle*
: Dzejas antoloģijaAuthors
: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,Translated by
:Genre
:Anthology
Language
:Estonian
Publisher
:Hea Lugu
Pages
:Year
:2022
Copyrights
:the author
Synopsis
:Anthology of Latvian poetry
Mir war, als ob es klopfte. Neue Gedichte aus Lettland
Mir war, als ob es klopfte. Neue Gedichte aus Lettland (Latviešu laikmetīgās dzejas antoloģija)
Title
: Mir war, als ob es klopfte. Neue Gedichte aus LettlandTitle*
: Latviešu laikmetīgās dzejas antoloģijaAuthors
: , , , , , , , , , , ,Genre
:Poetry
Language
:German
Publisher
:Parasitenpresse
Pages
:122
Year
:2023
Copyrights
:The authors
Alfabeedi sünnimaa
Alfabeedi sünnimaa (Alfabēta dzimtene: latviešu konceptuālistu dzejas izlase)
Title
: Alfabeedi sünnimaaTitle*
: Alfabēta dzimtene: latviešu konceptuālistu dzejas izlaseAuthors
: , , , , , , , , , , ,Translated by
:Genre
:Poetry
Language
:Estonian
Publisher
:;paranoia, Mina Ise
Pages
:144
Year
:2024
Copyrights
:The authors