Ieva Melgalve

Ieva Melgalve (1981) is a popular Latvian writer of fantasy novels, SF, plays, and other prose genres. She started out and got involved in the Latvian literary scene at a rather young age – when she was only 12, participated in the literary youth camp Aicinājums (The Calling) several times. She gained greater public recognition with her unintentionally scandalous work of prose titled Definitions/Definīcijas, published in 1996, because of its honest and uncensored vocabulary and wide popularity among young readers. This piece was awarded in a young authors competition run by the Ministry of Education of Latvia, and the same year, her mini-novel I was Waiting for Spring to Come, or Ice-heart/ Kā es gaidīju pavasari jeb Ledussirds (1996) was awarded the magazine Karogs prize. Melgalve has also published poems, for instance, in the anthology 21 from the 21^st Century/ 21 no 21. gadu simteņa (1999), and written plays for theatre, her science fiction play in two acts Inhumanity/ Necilvēki being published as an e-book. Two of her novels, The Dead won't Forgive and Arrow, Star and Laee, have been nominated for the Annual Latvian Literature Award, and so has her work Moon Theatre/ Mēness teātris (2015). Ieva Melgalve is actively involved in Latvian literary circles, literary criticism, and running workshops at the Literary Academy, courses organized by the Latvian Writers' Union.

Novels
Vēsais prāts [The Cool Mind]. Riga: Zvaigzne ABC, 2018. 
Mājas bez durvīm [Houses Without Doors]. Riga: Zvaigzne ABC, 2016.
Mēness teātris [Moon Theatre]. Riga: Zvaigzne ABC, 2015.
Bulta, Zvaigzne un Laī [Arrow, Star and Laee]. Rīga: Zvaigzne ABC, 2014.
Necilvēki [Inhumanity]. e-book, SF play in two acts, 2013
Mirušie nepiedod [The Dead Don't Forgive]. Rīga: Zvaigzne ABC, 2013.
Bezzaudējumu punkts [Point of No Losses]. Rīga: Jumava, 1999.

Children's Literature
Emī un Rū. Robota sirds [Emmy and Roo. The Heart of a Robot]. In collaboration with Elizabete Lukšo-Ražinska. Riga: TUTA Media
Īsti cilvēki [The Real People]. Riga: Zvaigzne ABC, 2019. 
Mamma, kas apēda bērnus [Mommy Who Ate Children]. Rīga: Zvaigzne ABC, 2017.

In other languages
Mommy Who Ate Children. Rīga: Zvaigzne ABC, 2017.

Jan M.Heller. A space of absurdity, femininity and trauma // Itvar, January 2025 [CZ]

Conversation with Ieva Melgalve // Online magazine Punctum, 2021 [LV]

About Emmy and Roo. The Heart of a Robot // Online magazine Satori, 2020 [LV]

Excerpt from Moon Theatre // European Literature Network, 2018 [EN]

Ieva Melgalve, Kurp dodies, latviešu zinātniskā fantastika un fantāzija?, atticle about fantasy novels and SF in Latvia // Delfi.lv, 2017 [LV]

Līva Kukle, Bailes, baiels, ak, nāves bailes, review of The Cool Mind // Ubi Sunt University of Latvia, 2019 [LV]

Bārbala Simsone, Nemirstīgais viš, review of The Cool Mind // Diena.lv, 2019 [LV]

Andrejs Vīksna, Tikai blefs, review of Houses Without Doors // Online magazine Satori, 2016 [LV]

Ieva Viese-Vigula, Hipnotiskajā mēness gaismā, review of Moon Theatre // Online magazine Satori, 2016 [LV]

Anna Auziņa, Bērni, laumas un pieaugušie, review of Arrow, Star and Laee // Online magazine Satori, 2014 [LV]

Bārbala Simsone, Kamēr tu šo spēli spēlē, review of Moon Theatre // Diena.lv, 2016 [LV]

2021, shortlisted for the Annual Latvian Literature Award for Emmy and Roo. The Heart of a Robot. In collaboration with Elizabete Lukšo-Ražinska.

2016, Zvaigzne ABC publishing house Special award for the novel Moon Theatre as the national bestseller.

2015, shortlisted for the Annual Latvian Literature Award for Arrow, Star and Laee

2014, shortlisted for the Annual Latvian Literature Award Best Prose for The Dead Don't Forgive