Imants Ziedonis

Imants Ziedonis (1933 – 2013) was a Latvian poet who first rose to fame during the Soviet occupation of Latvia. Ziedonis graduated from the University of Latvia with a degree in philology in 1959 and went on to study in Moscow. As a young man, Ziedonis worked in a wide variety of jobs – he worked as a librarian, road construction worker, teacher and literary editor. Ziedoni's first significant collection of poetry Zemes un sapņu smilts/ Sand of Earth and Dreams was published in 1961, and the following three collections Sirds dinamīts/Heart's Dynamite, Motocikls/Motorcycle, and Es ieeju sevī/I Enter Myself sky-rocketed him to fame almost unprecedented in Latvian poetry scene. However, he was actively writing prose as well, and during 1970s Ziedonis became deeply interested in Latvian folk culture which later informed his writing and what later became to be known as Ziedonis' Epiphanies (Epiphanies, 1971, 1974, 1994). He also collected and wrote folk tales and stories for children, these included Krāsainās pasakas/Colored Tales, Lāču pasaka/ The Tale of Bears and Blēņas un pasakas/Twaddle and Tales. As one of the most open voices in poetry during the Soviet occupation era, he repeatedly risked appearing as a dissident to the Soviet leaders, however managed to maintain a balance despite his often controversial essays and creative work. Ziedonis was a prominent member of Atmoda, the re-awakening movement in Latvia, he was elected to the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia in 1990 and was one of the Supreme Council members who voted for the Declaration on the Restoration of Independence of Latvia. Ziedonis was awarded the Three Star Order in 1995 and the Cabinet of Ministers' Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2002, and has received several international literary prizes and awards, his works have been translated into Lithuanian, English, German, Swedish, Ukrainian, and other languages. Ziedonis has translated works by A.Pushkin, Alexander Alexandrovich Blok, Mayakovsky, Bagritsky, Lugovskoy, et al.

Poetry
Vēl ko [One more thing]. Riga: Mansards, 2010.
Trioletas [Triolets]. Riga: Pētergailis, 2003.
Ceļa sentiments [Road Sentimentality]. Riga: Nordik, 2000.
Mirkļi. Foreles [Moments. Trouts]. Riga: Teātra Anekdotes, 1993.
Viegli [Lightly]. Riga: Preses nams, 1993.
Taureņu uzbrukums [Butterfly Attack]. Riga: Liesma, 1988.
Viddivvārpa. With L. Damianu, in the collection Maize/Bread. Riga: Liesma, 1982.
Thoughtfully I Read the Smoke: Selected Poems. In Russian and English, Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1980.
Re, kā [Look]. Riga: Liesma, 1981.
Man labvēlīgā tumsā [In the Darkness Kind to Me ]. Riga: Liesma, 1979.
Poēma par pienu [A Poem about Milk]. Riga: Liesma, 1977.
Caurvējš [Draught]. Riga: Liesma, 1975.
Kā svece deg [Like a Candle Burning]. Riga: Liesma, 1971.
Es ieeju sevī [I Enter Myself]. Riga: Liesma, 1968.
Motocikls [Motorcycle]. Riga: Liesma, 1965.
Sirds dinamīts [Heart's Dynamite]. Riga: LVI, 1963.
Zemes un sapņu smilts [Sand of Earth and Dreams]. Riga: LVI, 1961.

Prose-poetry
Selected Epiphanies. Riga: Zvaigzne ABC, 2009.
Epiphanies + CD, Riga:Tigula mūzika, Moonlight sound design, 2008.
Epiphanies. Book 3. Riga: Preses nams, 1994.
Epiphanies. Books 1 and 2. Riga: Liesma, 1978.
Epiphanies. Book 2. Riga: Liesma, 1974.
Epifānijas . Book 1. Riga: Liesma, 1971.

Literary tales
Pasakas [Tales]. Riga: Jumava, 2007.
Pasaka par bizi [The Tale of the Braid]. Riga: Jumava, 1997.
Sākamgrāmata [Saying Book]. Riga: Liesma, 1985.
Kas tas ir ― kolhozs? [What is kolkhoz?] Riga: Liesma, 1984.
Blēņas un pasakas [Twaddle and Tales]. Riga: Liesma, 1980.
Lāču pasaka [The Tale of Bears]. Riga: Liesma, 1976.
Krāsainas pasakas [Coloured Tales]. Riga: Liesma, 1973.

Dokumentary prose, memoirs
Leišmalīte [Lithuanian Bordertowns], with Rimants Ziedonis. Riga: Zvaigzne ABC, 2013.
Nenoteiktā bija [The Indefinite Was], with N. Ikstena. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2006.
Ne tas kādam jāzina [Nobody needs to know]. Riga: Pētergailis, 2005.
Tutepatās [Youstillnear]. Riga: Karogs, 1992.
Tik un tā [Regardless] Riga: Liesma, 1985.
Kurzemīte. Otrā grāmata [Courland: Book 2]. Riga: Liesma, 1974.
Kurzemīte. Pirmā grāmata [Courland: Book 1]. Riga: Liesma, 1970.

Paolo Pantaleo. The evening that changed the history of Latvian poetry // Baltica News, May 2023 [IT]

Florence Trocmé. Imants Ziedonis, unpublished translations // Poesibao, July 2023 [FR]

Lauris Veips. Saying what you mean: trends in recent Latvian poetry // Versopolis, March 2023 [EN]

José de María Romero Barea, about Imants Ziedonis // Romero Barea escritor blog, 2020 [ES; EN]

Patrick Burr, About Imants Ziedonis // Merion West, 2020 [EN]

The Tale of the Braid, read by Ēriks Pozemkovskis // Pasakas.lv [LV]

Imants Ziedonis' Award "Time for Ziedonis" // The Boris and Inara Teterev Foundation, 2018 [EN]

Museum project of poet Imants Ziedonis // Dd studio, 2015 [EN, LV]

Momentuzņēmums: Imants Ziedonis un viņa māja Murjāņos/ Snapshot: Imants Ziedonis and his Murjāņi Home, article and viseo // Online magazine Satori, 2014 [LV]

Guntis Berelis, conversation with Imants Ziedonis // Online magazine Satori youtube channel, 2013 [LV]

Poet Imants Ziedonis dies at 79 // The Baltic Times, 2013 [EN]

Imants Ziedonis // Words without Borders [EN]

Imants Ziedonis, about the author // Letonika.lv [LV]

Imants Ziedonis' Epiphanies published in Ukrainian // Delfi.lv, 2006 [LV]

Virginie Henrique. Tales through colors // Les Dernieres Nouvelles d'Alsace, November 2023 [FR]

Līga Horgana. Literature Review:The 1001st Blackish-Blue Night // latviaweekly.com, November 2023 [EN]

Līga Horgana. Literature Review: Epiphanies, review // latviaweekly.com, April 2022 [EN]

Līga Horgana. Literature Review: Colourful Tales, review // latviaweekly.com, February 2022 [EN]

Cristiana Abbate. European literary itinerary. Latvia // Senzalinea, February 2022 [IT]

José de María Romero Barea, about minimisms // Romero Barea escritor blog, 2020 [ES; EN]

José de María Romero Barea, about Latvian literature // Romero Barea escritor blog, 2020 [ES; EN]

Mārtiņš Lasmanis: Dzejoļu grāmata par pretstatiem, review of Draught // Jaunā Gaita,  nr. 128, 1980 [LV]

2000, 2006, the Annual Latvian Literature Award

2002, the Cabinet of Ministers' Award for Lifetime Achievement

2001, Rainis Prize, Awarded by the Latvian Academy of Sciences

1995, the Order of the Three Stars

1990, Honorary Member of the Academy of Sciences

1974, Eduards Veidenbaums Prize