User:Mozzy66/Latvian/lit

Latvian literature refers to the body of works written by Latvian authors.

Overview

Foundations

Before there was a written Latvian language, traditions were passed along in folk songs that are still preserved.

Early Latvian literature

Literature in Latvia is relatively new, having started in the nineteenth century.

The starting point of written Latvian literature was the poetry collection Songlets (1856) by Juris Alunāns (1832-1864), in which he aimed to show that deep and noble feelings can also be expressed in Latvian, which the ruling Baltic-German nobility regarded as merely a peasant tongue.

National Awakening

In the second half of the 19th Century, there was an increased nationalist outpouring in Latvia, the proponents of which would later referred to as the New Latvians. The period saw the national epic, Lāčplēsis, published in 1888 by Andrejs Pumpurs (1841-1902). It contained strong mythic and folkloric elements, a pattern which would be developed by many later Latvian writers.

Krišjānis Barons (1835-1923) was instrumental in collecting, organising and publishing Latvian Dainas. These brief poems - part saying, part folk songs - were from a long oral tradition, whose publication led to an increased recognition of the concept of Latvia as a cultural unity, and of the nation having a deep literary basis.

Early Twentieth Century Literature

In the beginning of 20th. century, mainly through the many German and Russian connections, Latvian literature had diverging movements of symbolism, decadence, and politically – socialism, Marxism, these movements went underground after the defeat of the largest national Latvian uprising the 1905 revolution – and the revenge from the tsarist regime was severe, leading to the first emigration of intellectuals from Latvia.

Rainis was a poet, playwright, translator, and politician at the turn of the century; his classic plays "Fire and Night" (Latvian: Uguns un nakts, 1905) and "Indulis and Ārija" (Latvian: Indulis un Ārija, 1911) had a profound influence on the literary Latvian language, and the ethnic symbolism he employed in his major works has been central to Latvian nationalism. Rainis was the first to formulate the idea that Latvia could be, not a part of a more democratic Russian Empire – but a sovereign state. He married Aspazija, also a writer, active in the feminist movement. They were exiled to inner Russia from 1897–1903, and lived in Switzerland from 1905–1920. When they returned to an independent Latvia after World War I, Aspazija also joined the Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party, and was a member of all sessions of Parliament of Latvia from 1920 to 1934.

Literature in independent Latvia

In 1918 with the beginning of first period of Independence, there was an amazing activity of modernistic Literature and Arts.

Aleksandrs Čaks (real name Cadarainis) glorified the capital city of Riga and its outskirts, romanticizing the everyday side of life, writing of poverty and prostitutes in poetry, which was previously not done. He also wrote an epic poem, "Mūžības Skartie", dedicated to the Latvian riflemen. In 1949, when Latvia was part of the Soviet Union, Čaks was accused of writing politically incorrect works: the attacks weakened his health, and he died of heart disease on February 8, 1950.

Eriks Adamsons and Vilis Cedrins, were just beginning to publish at the time of the German takeover. At this time many Latvian writers went into exile, such as Linards Tauns, Gunars Salins, Janis Sodums, Andrejs Eglitis, Velta Snikere, Gunars Janovskis. Agate Nesaule wrote of her experiences during this emigration. Among those who were in exile and returned to their homeland after it became independent in 1991 are poets Astrid Ivask, Margarita Gutmane, Roberts Muks, Andrejs Eglitis, Jānis Sodums.

Latvian Literature after Second World War

After WWII Latvian literary activity was split into three parts – those writers still in Latvia, those in the Gulag's (after two mass-deportations in 1941 and 1949) and writers who had fled to the West. After WWII, for some years the centre of Latvian Literature was Sweden.

In the mid 1950s two important things happened: young Latvian exile writers started to publish their works in Stockholm, London, New York – the NY Hell's Kitchen group became the leading one, and secondly, in the Soviet union Nikita Sergejevich Chrustjov revealed the Stalin-eras crimes against humanity at the 20 th congress of the Communist Party in 1956. In literature this led to the so called 56 generation, and in Latvia there were notable representatives: Ojars Vacietis, Imants Ziedonis and Vizma Belsevica.

Valentins Jakobsons and Knuts Skujenieks had been sent to a labor camps in Siberia, and was one of those who survived to return and write about their experience, along with Sandra Kalniete, who was born in a Siberian labor camp to Latvian parents and became Latvian Foreign Affairs Minister in 2002.

Poets who remained and published in Soviet-controlled Latvia included Vizma Belsevica, Imants Ziedonis, Ojārs Vācietis, Māris Čaklais; novelists Regina Ezera, Alberts Bels; and a younger generation who grew up during those times, such as poets Klāvs Elsbergs (son of Vizma Belsevica), Uldis Berzins, Amanda Aizpuriete, Peters Bruveris, Anna Auzina, Knuts Skujenieks, Māris Melgalvs. Mara Zalite, who once wrote poetry, has written musicals for the past years.

Latgalian writers include: V. Dzērvinīks, O. Seiksts, V. Lukaševičs, I. Tārauda, L. Rundāne, Nide, Dace Puce, Andrew - Peteris. Cedrins (born in USA), A.Rancane, R.Judeiko (lives in UK), I. Kilevica, Egita-Tereze Jonane, I. Purina (lives in Sweden) I.Sokolova, L. Muktupāvela, Rego (lives and works in UK), I. Jurkane. Rudy, I. Atpile-Jugane, L. Liepdruviete and others.Recently the new men of letters - E. Dervinieks, I. Ratinīka, J. Čevere, L. Ivanova and others - write in two and three languages, namely alongside with the Latvian literary language or the Latgalian literary language texts in Russian or English appear. Every year Latgalian latest literature is published in Latgalian Literary almanac. Since 1990 books written in the Latgalian literary language are published mainly by the Publishing House of the Culture Centre of Latgale run by J. Elksnis (Rēzekne).

First-generation children born to Latvian parents in exile who became writers include Svens Birkerts, poet Juris Kronbergs and Inara Cedrins (niece of Vilis Cedrins).

The youngest generation of Latvian writers includes Inga Ābele, poet, novelist and playwright; poets Peteris Draguns, Eduards Aivars, Liana Langa, Marts Pujats, Inga Gaile and Andris Akmentins; prose writers include Pauls Bankovskis, Janis Einfelds, Gundega Repse, Andra Neiburga, Laima Muktapavele and Nora Ikstena. Sergei Timofeyev is also notable, producing multimedia poetry in Russian (Latvia has a vast amount of Russian speakers).

The Latvian Literature Center was founded in 2002 to foster international recognition of and access to Latvian fiction, poetry, plays and children's literature.

External links

• Latvian literature summary at the Latvian Institute
• Latvian literature and authors
• Latvian Literature Center

Category:Latvian literature