Laima Kota (previously Laima Muktupāvela, born Vucina in 1962) is a Latvian prose writer. Currently Laima is publishing under her married name Laima Kota. She graduated from the University of Latvia in 1989 with a degree in History. Kota has had a wide variety of professions from manual jobs to modelling at the Art Academy of Latvia, and writing and editing for "Latvijas Avīze" newspaper and "Karogs" magazine. Her creative work was first published in 1993. Her widely read work Šampinjonu Derība [The Mushroom Covenant] was one of the most popular books of its decade and received the Annual Latvian Literature Award in 2002. Laima Kota works in a wide range of styles, and her books demonstrate this diversity in magical realism, in her historical, biographical and documentary prose and well received children's literature. Her latest novel Istaba [The Room] has been published as part of the We. Latvia. The 20th Century historical series in 2016.
Cilvēks ar zilo putnu [The Man with a Blue Bird]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2020.
Istaba [The Room]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2016.
Mierielas vilkme [The Lure of Miera Street]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2016.
Matilde un Terēze jeb kā būt Te, Tur un Citur [Matilda and Theresa, or How to be Here, There and Elsewhere]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2013.
Mana turku kafija [My Turkish Coffee]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2012.
BrāliBrāli: balsu burvji brāļi Kokari [BrotherBrother: The Wizards of Voices – Kokari Brothers]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2008.
Totēmi [Totems]. Riga: Jumava, 2007.
Mīla. Benjamiņa [Love. Benjamin]. Riga: Apgāds Daugava, 2005.
Cilpa [The Loop]. Riga: Karogs, 2003.
Patiesu dzīves stāstu ducis [A Dozen of True Life Stories]. Riga: Apgāds Daugava, 2002.
Šampinjonu Derība [The Mushroom Covenant]. Riga: Apgāds Daugava, 2002.
Books to fall for
The Room
The Room (Istaba)
Nominated for the 2016 Annual Latvian Literature Award, this novel offers a glimpse into the everyday lives of Latvians thirty years ago, when Soviet power was in the process of abetting the country’s rapid economic collapse. However, the political climate suddenly shifted in favor of the basic human desire to live in prosperity, and the Soviets declared Perestroika. The novel revolves around a communal apartment in Riga. Once the large, upmarket homes of the wealthy, during the Soviet years, these apartments were converted and shared by several families, who were forced to use the same kitchen and bathroom and often had to keep their cooking utensils and food in their own rooms to prevent them from being stolen. The protagonists are products of the everyday reality existing at the time. They are of different nationalities, work in different fields, and have a totally different perception of life and yet, they share the same roof.
Contact: Dace Sparāne-Freimane, dace.sparane-freimane@dgrama.lv
TheRoom_by_L.Kota.pdf
Title
:The Room
Title*
:Istaba
Authors
:Genre
:Fiction
Publisher
:Dienas Grāmata
Pages
:320
Year
:2016
Foreign rights
:Rights sold to Lithuania
The Mushroom Covenant
The Mushroom Covenant (Šampinjonu Derība)
The Mushroom Covenant tells the story of a young woman named Īva Baranovska, who goes to Ireland to earn money to pay off her debts and buy a flat back home in Latvia. Already interested in Celtic culture prior to her arrival in Ireland, Īva spends many hours listening to her colleague tell her local legends and myths, in which she begins to see connections with Latvian folk tales. Gradually, Īva grows tired of spending long days on the fields picking mushrooms and decides to become a prostitute. She slowly sheds her former self and matures, both sexually and spiritually, yet finds it difficult to remain connected to her own culture, which eventually gets reduced to Latvian food and cooking (the novel itself features several mushroom recipes serving as capstones to chapters). The playful, ironic prose of The Mushroom Covenant keeps the reader’s interest in the daily struggles of Īva, as she battles her way through the many difficulties facing her in Ireland before she decides to return to Latvia. The author’s and protagonist’s interest in the otherworldly is reflected in the parallels raised between Īva’s trials in Ireland and Latvian myths, as well as Celtic and Biblical legends.
Contact: Laima Kota, laima.kota@inbox.lv
TheMushroomCovenant_by_L.Kota.pdf
Title
:The Mushroom Covenant
Title*
:Šampinjonu Derība
Authors
:Genre
:Fiction
Publisher
:Apgāds Daugava
Pages
:369
Year
:2002
Foreign rights
:Rights sold to Germany, Lithuania, Sweden
About The Man with a Blue Bird // Online magazine Satori, 2020 [LV]
Conversation with Laima Kota // 15min.lt, 2020 [LT]
About The Lure of Miera Street // Latvijas Sabiedriskie Mediji, 2016 [LV]
About The Room // Online magazine Satori, 2016 [LV]
About The Lure of Miera Street // Dienas Grāmata, 2015 [LV]
About Matilda and Theresa, or How to be Here, There and Elsewhere // Online magazine Satori, 2014 [LV]
Laima Muktupāvela, artist's profile // The Council of the Creative Unions of Latvia [LV]
Laima Muktupāvela, encyclopedia entry // Letonika.lv [LV]
Laima Kota-Muktupāvela, Matilda and Theresa, or How to be Here, There and Elsewhere // Annual Latvian Literature Award, laligaba.lv [LV]
About BrotherBrother: The Wizards of Voices – Kokari Brothers // Jānis Roze publishing house website [LV]
Review of The Room // Knygu ziurkes, 2020 [LT]
Ilze Jansone, Viegli par laikmeta izjūtu, review of The Room // Online magazine Punctum, 2017 [LV]
Bārbala Simsone, Savs kaktiņš, savs mandarīns, review of The Room // Diena.lv, 2016 [LV]
Bārbala Simsone, Dzimtene ielas garumā, review of The Lure of Miera Street // Diena.lv, 2016 [LV]
Arnolds Slotiņš, Dzīve ar koriem, review of BrotherBrother: The Wizards of Voices – Kokari Brothers // Dienas Grāmata, 2008 [LV]
2009, Eduards Veidenbaums Literary Prize for BrotherBrother
2003, Magazine "Karogs" and R. Gerkens Competition award for the thriller "The Loop"
2002, the Annual Latvian Literature Award Best Prose for The Mushroom Covenant
Champinjontestamentet : baltjävlar bland kelterna
Champinjontestamentet : baltjävlar bland kelterna (Šampinjonu Derība)
Title
: Champinjontestamentet : baltjävlar bland kelternaTitle*
: Šampinjonu DerībaAuthors
:Translated by
:Genre
:Fiction
Language
:Swedish
Publisher
:Bokförlaget Tranan, Sweden
Pages
:284
Year
:2011
Synopsis
:The Mushroom Covenant tells the story of a young woman named Īva Baranovska, who goes to Ireland to earn money to pay off her debts and buy a flat back home in Latvia.
Das Champignonvermächtnis : Schwarzarbeit auf der Grünen Insel
Das Champignonvermächtnis : Schwarzarbeit auf der Grünen Insel (Šampinjonu Derība)
Title
: Das Champignonvermächtnis : Schwarzarbeit auf der Grünen InselTitle*
: Šampinjonu DerībaAuthors
:Translated by
:Genre
:Fiction
Language
:German
Publisher
:Weidle Verlag, Germany
Pages
:392
Year
:2008
Synopsis
:The Mushroom Covenant tells the story of a young woman named Īva Baranovska, who goes to Ireland to earn money to pay off her debts and buy a flat back home in Latvia.
Pievagrybių testamentas : juodieji baltai pas keltus
Pievagrybių testamentas : juodieji baltai pas keltus (Šampinjonu Derība)
Title
: Pievagrybių testamentas : juodieji baltai pas keltusTitle*
: Šampinjonu DerībaAuthors
:Translated by
:Genre
:Fiction
Language
:Lithuanian
Publisher
:Mintis, Lithuania
Pages
:383
Year
:2003
Synopsis
:The Mushroom Covenant tells the story of a young woman named Īva Baranovska, who goes to Ireland to earn money to pay off her debts and buy a flat back home in Latvia.
Kambarys
Kambarys (Istaba)
Title
: KambarysTitle*
: IstabaAuthors
:Translated by
:Genre
:Fiction
Language
:Lithuanian
Publisher
:Aukso Žuvys, Lithuania
Pages
:364
Year
:2020
Copyrights
:The author, the translator, the publisher
Synopsis
:The novel revolves around a communal apartment in Riga. Once the large, upmarket homes of the wealthy, during the Soviet years, these apartments were converted and shared by several families.
Женщина в янтаре. Антология латвийской прозы
Женщина в янтаре. Антология латвийской прозы (Latvian prose anthology)
Title
: Женщина в янтаре. Антология латвийской прозыTitle*
: Latvian prose anthologyAuthors
: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,Translated by
:Genre
:Anthology
Language
:Russian
Publisher
:Вагриус, Russia
Pages
:240
Year
:2008
Synopsis
:Latvian prose anthology
Människomuseet. Lettland berättar
Människomuseet. Lettland berättar (Cilvēku muzejs. Latvijas proza)
Title
: Människomuseet. Lettland berättarTitle*
: Cilvēku muzejs. Latvijas prozaAuthors
: , , , , , , , , , ,Translated by
:Genre
:Anthology
Language
:Swedish
Publisher
:Tranan, Sweden
Pages
:265
Year
:2008
Synopsis
:Anthology of Latvian prose