Inga Gaile

Inga Gaile (1976) is an award-winning Latvian poet, prose writer, playwright, performance artist and theater director. With her unique brand of humor, she explores inner states of being, her own experiences, the everyday lives of women and stigmatized groups of society, while promoting equal rights. Multiple nominee for the Annual Latvian Literature Award (LALIGABA). She has won several awards, including the Annual Latvian Literature Award 2015 and 2020 for Can the Back Row Hear Me (Vai otrā grupa mani dzird) and The Beautiful Ones (Skaistās) and nominee for the 2021 European Freedom Poet Award organized by the city of Gdańsk. Her poetry collection 30 questions that people don't ask (translated by Ieva Lešinska) was ranked among the most significant translated publications of the year by WorldLiteratureToday in the US in 2018. The novel Delight (Jaukuminš) was shortlisted for the Angelus Central European Literary Award. Inga Gaile is a founder of stand-up comedy group Women’s Stand-up. Gaile regularly performs her poetry at international festivals. Her poems and prose have been translated into several languages, including French, German, Spanish, Italian etc. 

Poetry
Un varbūt ka mēs visi izdzīvosim [And Maybe We'll All Survive]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2024.
Nakts [Night]. Riga: Mansards, 2021.
Lieldienas [Easter]. Riga: Neputns, 2018.
Vai otrā grupa mani dzird? [Can the Back Row Hear Me?] - collection of children's poetry. Riga: Liels un mazs, 2014.
Migla [Fog]. Riga: Mansards, 2012.
Kūku Marija [Maria, the Cake Killer]. Riga: Orbita, 2007.
raudāt nedrīkst smieties [Cry Not Laugh]. Riga: Nordik, 2004.
Laiks bija iemīlējies [Time Had Grown Enamoured]. Riga: "Pētergailis", 1999.

Prose
Jaukumiņš [Delight]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2023.
Rakstītāja [Writer of Her Own]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2020.
Skaistās [The Beautiful Ones]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2019.
Neredzamie [Invisible]. Riga: Zvaigzne ABC, 2018.
Stikli [The Glass Shards]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2016.

Plays
Trauki [The Dishes]. 2014, staged in collaboration with Marta E. Martinsone at Dirty Deal Teatro, Riga.
Mūsu Silvija debesīs [Our Sylvia, who art in Heaven]. 2013, staged at Ģertrūdes ielas teātris, Riga.
Āda [The Skin]. 2011, published by Mansards, staged by Andrejs Jarovojs at Dirty Deal Teatro, Riga 

Collections of stories 
Piena ceļi [Milky ways]. Riga: Mansards, 2018.

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

Tri nova izdanja Partizanske knjige, I.Gaile // Sinhro, November 2024 [RS]

Witold Sulek. Latvian Literature in Poland. Interview with translator Daniel Łubiński // RadioOpole, November 2024 [PL]

Inga Gaile Festival Literacki Sopot  video// Sopot festival, September 2024 [PL]

Publish a book through crowdfunding // Literaturnetz Dresden, June 2024 [GER]

I.Gaile poetry // Internazionale, May 2025 [IT]

Interview with Inga Gaile // Mangi a libri, March 2024 [IT]

I.Gaile tour, Laterza Bookshop // Barisera news, March 2024 [IT]

Stephan Hartmann. Literature from Latvia "Skaistās" // Nordisch.info, March 2024 [GER]

30 things that people never ask themselves, by the Latvian poet Inga Gaile, is published in Mexico // Circulo de poesia, December 2023 [MX]

Žanete Vēvere. A Glimpse Into The Latvian Literature! // All about book publishing, February, 2023 [IN]

Don't look the Latvian in the eye. Ball of introverts. Anthology of new Latvian poetry // Sirp, January, 2023 [EE]

Mariupol , poem by I.Gaile // Tvar, December 2022 [CZ]

Literature Festival "In-Between: Baltic States" // Kultur-lettland, September 2021 [GER]

About Night // Online magazine Satori, 2021.

Interview with Inga Gaile // Diena.lv, 2020 [LV]

About Easter translation into Polish // Dzień Tłumacza, 2020 [PL]

About The Writer // Online magazine Satori, 2020 [LV]

Conversation with Agnieszką Smarzewską (Polish translator of Easter) // European Poet of Freedom, 2020 [PL]

Interview with Inga Gaile // 15min.lt, 2020 [LT]

Poem by Inga Gaile recited in Polish by Sonia Gabryszewska // BezWiosna 2020 youtube channel, 2020 [PL]

Translated poem by Ryan Van Winkle and Jayde Will // Modern Poetry in Translation, 2020 [EN]

About The Beautiful Ones // Online magazine Satori, 2019 [LV]

Read the excerpt: Inga Gaile, "Glass" // kultuur.err.ee, February, 2018 [EST]

Audio interview with Inga Gaile // Trafika Europe Radio Mixcloud, 2018 [EN]

Interview with Inga Gaile // Diena.lv, 2016 [LV]

Interview with Inga Gaile // Online magazine Satori, 2012 [LV]

Madis Aruskak. Efforts to remember and forget in Inga Gaile's "The Beautiful ones" // Sirp, February 2025 [EE]

Inga Gaile "Beautiful ones" review // Kirjakoi.wordpress, December 2024 [EE]

Inga Gaile according to Margherita Carbonaro // Raicultura, October 2024 [IT]

Inga Gaile. The beautiful ones in Estonian // Loterii blogspot, September 2024 [EE]

Angela Finelli. The Glass Shards // The Book advisor, August 2024 [IT]

The Glass Shards, review //Benedetta letteratura altervista, May 2024 [IT]

Maria Tatsos. The atrocious Madness of a "Better" people, review // Mondo emissione, April 2024 [IT] 

Valentina Cimino. The Glass Shards, review // Libero pensiero, April 2024 [IT] 

Paola and Valentina. The Glass Shards, review // Cantarana podcast, April 2024 [IT]

Melissa Mino. Story of a madness in Inga Gailes Shards of Glass // Universoletterario, March 2024 [IT]

Inga Gaile.The Glass Shards, review // Mangi a libri, March 2024 [IT]

Inga Gaile.The Glass Shards, review // Libero pensiero, March 2024 [IT]

Natascia Alibani. Inga Gaile.The Glass Shards // Libri Robadadonne. March 2024 [IT]

Inga Gaile. The beautiful ones in Serbian // Proza Online, February 2024 [RS]

Stefano Zangrando.The Glass Shards // Il Manifesto, February 2024 [IT]

Salerno Literature. Inga Gaile // Gazzetta disalerno, February 2024 [IT]

Melissa Minò. Story of a Madness in Inga Gaile's Shards of Glas // Universoletterario, February 2024 [IT]

Sabine Walther. Recommended book: Young poetry from Latvia // sabinewalther-bücher.de,

October 2022 [GER]

Jūlija Dibovska, Tu esi sekss, review of Writer of Her Own // Online magazine Punctum, 2020 [LV]

Małgorzata Lebda, review of Easter // Przegląd Bałtycki, 2020 [PL]

Jūlija Dibovska, Laipni lūgts vēriens, review of The Beautiful Ones // Online magazine Punctum, 2020 [LV]

Bārbala Simsone, Viņas ir skaistas, review of The Beautiful Ones // Diena.lv, 2020 [LV]

Małgorzata Lebda, Ćwiczenia z wyobraźni, review of Easter // Europejski Poeta Wolnosci, 2020 [PL]

Author of the week, Inga Gaile // n2dalaautor.wordpress. June, 2019 [EST]

Inga Gaile "Glass" // laiapea.eu, June, 2018 [EST]

Linda Stack-Nelson, review of 30 Questions People Don't Ask // World Literature Today, 2018 [EN]

Review of 30 Questions People Don't Ask // Social Bookshelves, 2018 [EN]

Bārbala Simsone, Piena upe gadsimtu krastos, review of Milky ways // Diena.lv, 2018 [LV]

Andrejs Vīksna, Mūžīgais Piena Ceļš, review of Milky ways // Online magazine Satori, 2018 [LV]

Inga Žolude, Cilvēciņi galvā mācās runāt, review of Easter // Diena.lv, 2018 [LV]

Ieva Viese-Vigula, Ar savu cilvēku klēpī, review of Easter // Online magazine Punctum, 2018 [LV]

Ieva Melgalve, Pareizības griezīgās lauskas, review of The Glass Shards // Online magazine Punctum, 2016 [LV]

Bārbala Simsone, Uzvarošais trauslums, review of The Glass Shards // Diena.lv, 2016 [LV]

Inga Žolude, Vai sabiedrība mani dzird?, review of Can the Back Row Hear Me? // Online magazine Satori, 2015 [LV]

Anna Auziņa, Iznākšana no miglas, review of Fog // Online magazine Satori, 2012 [LV]

Arvis Viguls, Vienkārši Marija, review of Maria, the Cake Killer // Online magazine Satori, 2007 [LV]

2021, shortlisted for the Annual Latvian Literature Award for Writer of Her Own

2020, the Annual Latvian Literature Award for The Beautiful Ones

2015, the Annual Latvian Literature Award for Can the Back Row Hear Me?

2012, Prose Readings Award for the short story Piena ceļi/ Milky Ways

2012, Latvju Teksti Magazine Award for Fog

2012, Ojārs Vācietis Award for Fog

2007, Poetry Days Award for Cake Mary

2004, Ojārs Vācietis Award for Cry Not Laugh

2004, Anna Dagda Foundation Award for Cry Not Laugh

1999, Klāvs Elsbergs Award for Time Had Grown Enamoured