Latvia: Literature & Writers

This is a novel about peasants in Latvia in the 1930s and 1940s in two volumes. (Translated from the Latvian.)

One of Latvia's most notable young writers, Inga Ābele (b. 1972) is a fresh voice in European fiction—her prose is direct, evocative, and exceptionally beautiful. Follow the link to check out her fascinating novel which has received high approval by not only getting the Annual Latvian Literary Award but also the Baltic Assembly Literature Prize.

Ferdinand Ossendowski (1876-1945), a scientist and writer, chronicled his experiences during the Russian Revolution of the 1920's. He was a man of culture and perception, but he confessed that his scholarship and sophistication could not protect him from the solitude and dissociation from human society he was forced to endure on his flights from danger. This is a journey the reader will breathlessly undertake to feel the strength of personal accomplishment.

This first comprehensive book-length analysis in the English language of the life and work of Aspazija (1868-1943) is intelligently and sensitively told. The volume also contains two verse dramas of this major Latvian writer and champion of women's rights.

Yury Tynyanov (1894-1943) was born in Rezhitsa, Russian Empire (present day Rēzekne, Latvia). He was an authority on Pushkin and an important member of the Russian Formalist school. In this book, Yury retells the life of Aleksandr Pushkin as a child and adolescent, including his education and his origins as an author.