Latvian literature readings to take place in the USA

On Wednesday 29 April, the launch of Nora Ikstena’s collection of short stories Life Stories and Liāna Langa’s selected poem collection Deadly Nightshade will take place at the Writers & Books literary centre in Rochester. The event will also feature a discussion about the translation and promotion of literature in the so-called small languages. Chad W. Post, a literary researcher at the University of Rochester and publisher at Open Letter Books, will lead the discussion. Both books are translated by Margita Gailītis and published by the Guernica publishing house in Canada.

Nora Ikstena. Photo: Latvian Literature Centre

On Friday 1 May, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Latvia to the United Nations in New York will also host the launch of Nora Ikstena and Liāna Langa’s books, along with a presentation of the latest edition of the Trafika Europe magazine which is dedicated to Latvia. Director and Editor-in-Chief of Trafika Europe, Andrew Singer, will take part in the event.

The third Latvian literature readings will take place on 7 May at the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia to the United States of America in Washington DC. Latvian authors will also take part in the Europe Day celebrations at the embassy on 9 May.

Liāna Langa. Photo: Jānis Deinats

The aim of the readings is to introduce American audiences, publishers and other literature professionals to Latvian literature in English, in light of the upcoming centenary of the independence of Latvia and the Baltic countries in 2018 and the Baltic countries being the subject of the Market Focus programme at the 2018 Book Fair in London.

Latvian prose writer Nora Ikstena, poet Liāna Langa, translators Margita Gailītis and Kaija Straumanis and the Director of the Latvian Literature Centre, Jānis Oga, will take part in the readings. Alongside the main events, the authors will also meet with representatives from American publishing houses and literature promotion organisations.

Translator Margita Gailītis. Photo: Latvian Literature Centre

The Latvian literature readings form part of the Latvian EU Council Presidency cultural programme which has contemporaneity, uniqueness and excellence as its core values. The programme consists of almost 200 events worldwide, and is the largest presentation of Latvian cultural excellence abroad since the country regained its independence.