Andra Manfelde
Biography
Andra Manfelde (born in1973, Kuldīga) is a Latvian writer and poet. In 1993, she moved to Krimulda and joined a Christian creative rehabilitation comune, in 2002, she graduated from the Riga School of Design and Art as a sculptor. In 2002, Manfelde had her first publications in several papers, including a selection of poems in the "Luna" literary magazine for which she received the Annual Literature Award. In 2005 her debut collection of poems Tranšejas dievi rok [Gods Dig the Trenches], was published and received the Ojārs Vācietis Prize. 2005 also saw the publishing of her first novel Adata [Needle], an autobiographical work about a young woman's struggles with drug addiction. The novel was very popular, and in 2007 Manfelde adapted it for a musical with the same title by the renowned Latvian composer Zigmārs Liepiņš. Her second collection of poems Betona svētnīcas [Concrete Sanctuaries] was also well received and nominated for the Poetry Days Award. In 2017, her novel Virsnieku sievas [The Officers' Wives] was published in the "We. Latvia. The 20th Century" historical series and received several awards and nominations.
Bibliography
Prose
Vilcēni [Wolf-cub]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2020.
Mājās pārnāca basa [Home came barefoot]. Riga: Latvijas Mediji, 2018.
Virsnieku sievas [The Officers' Wives]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2017.
Dzimtenīte [Sweet Motherland]. Riga: Literatūras kombains, 2012.
Ceļojums uz mēnesi: Visbija — Ventspils — Visbija [A Trip to the Moon]. Riga: Literatūras kombains, 2011.
Zemnīcas bērni [The Children of the Bunkers]. Rīga: self-published, 2010.
Adata [The Needle]. Rīga: AGB, 2005.
Children's books
Vai mamma mājās? [Is Mom At Home?] Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2023.
Uzzīmē baltu lietu [Draw A White Thing]. Riga: Aminori, 2021.
Pasaka par sniega kurmi [A Fairy Tale About A Snow Mole]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2020.
Kaķis mākoņos [Cat in the Clouds]. Riga: Latvijas Mediji, 2020.
Ceriņslotas zīmējumi [Lilac broom drawings]. Riga: Latvijas Mediji, 2019.
Vēja vīrs un mēs [The Wind Man and Us]. Riga: Latvijas Mediji, 2018.
Kurš no mums lidos? [Which One of us is Going to Fly?]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2017.
Sirds pasaka [The Heart's Tale]. Riga: self-published, 2009.
Poetry
Andra Manfelde Dilstošais medus mēness [Waning Honeymoon]. Riga: Aminori, 2024.
Poēma ar mammu [The Poem With Mom]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2022.
Ziemeļu tirgus [The Northern Fair]. Riga: Literatūras kombains, 2013.
Betona svētnīcas [Concrete Sanctuaries]. Riga: Neputns, 2008.
Tranšejas dievi rok [Gods Dig the Trenches]. Riga: AGB, 2005.
Miscellaneous
Transcendentālā oratorija [Transcendental Oratorium]. Composer Zigmars Liepiņš, Latvian National Opera, 2014.
Articles
About Draw A White Thing // Online magazine Satori, 2021 [LV]
About Cat in the Clouds // Online magazine Satori, 2020 [LV]
Video interview with Andra Manfelde about Karaosta and Concrete Sanctuaries // Vimeo, 2014 [EN, LV]
Interview with Andra Manfelde // Diena.lv, 2013 [LV]
About The Northern Fair // Latvijas Sabiedriskie Mediji, 2013 [LV]
About Concrete Sanctuaries // Neputns publishing website, 2008 [EN, LV]
Reviews
Bārbala Simsone, Ātrums ir viņu stihija, review of Wolf-cub // Diena.lv, 2020 [LV]
Elīna Malāne, Viņi dzīvi. Par spīti visam, review of Home came barefoot // Ubi Sunt University of Latvia, 2018 [LV]
Zanda Gūtmane, Mēs nākam no vecāku neizdzīvotās bērnības, review of Home came barefoot // Online magazine Punctum, 2018 [LV]
Arnis Koroševskis, Tā dzīvo cilvēks, review of Home came barefoot // Online magazine Satori, 2018 [LV]
Bārbala Simsone, Maizes un ābola evanģēlijs, review of Home came barefoot // Diena.lv, 2018 [LV]
Ērika Bērziņa, Tā nav grāmata, bet piedzīvojums!, review of Which One of us is Going to Fly? // Online magazine Satori, 2018 [LV]
Bārbala Simsone, Sievietes uz tilta, review of Wives of Officers // Diena.lv, 2017 [LV]
Sarmīte Kolāte, Okupantu sievas un mīļākās, review of The Officers' Wives // Online magazine Satori, 2017 [LV]
Inese Lūsiņa, Transcendentālā oratorija. Tikai Dievs un mātes mīlestība/Transcendental Oratorium // Diena.lv, 2014 [LV]
Katrīna Rudzīte, Kā izdzīvot dzimtenītē?, review of Sweet Motherland // Online magazine Satori, 2013 [LV]
Aina Siksna, Andras Manfeldes atmiņu tēlojums, review of The Children of the Bunkers // Jaunā Gaita, Nr. 270, 2012 [LV]
Awards
2019, shortlisted for the Annual Latvian Literature Award for Home came barefoot
2018, the Annual Latvian Literature Award for Which One of us is Going to Fly?
2017, The Egons Līvs Award for Wives of Officers
2012, The Egons Līvs Award for A Trip to the Moon
2012, Indriķis Zeberiņš Prize for The Heart's Tale
2010, The International Jānis Baltvilks Prize for The Heart's Tale
2010, Silver-Ink pot Award from the International Writers' and Translators' House and City Council of Ventspils for The Children of the Bunkers
2008, Anna Dagda Prize for Concrete Temples
2005, Ojārs Vācietis Prize for debut collection Gods dig trenches
2002, the Annual Latvian Literature Award for the publication in "Luna" magazine
Image author