Jānis Joņevs

Jānis Joņevs (1980) is a prose writer. His first novel Jelgava '94 immediately became a cult book among readers. During the TV show Great Reading the novel was chosen among the 100 most favourite Latvian books of all times. It was also praised among critics and received numerous awards. The novel is set in Jelgava town in 1994 and focuses on youngsters who are driven to heavy metal music. Sharing this taste of music and subculture they explore the life through the eyes of their youth. It is a book of a whole generation which experienced their youth in the nineties when Latvia had just regained independence. This novel has been adapted for the theatre performance by Jelgava New Theatre, and as a film with the same title directed by Jānis Ābele. It has been translated into ten languages.

Jānis Joņevs also writes short stories for children and adults. In 2014 publishing house "liels un mazs" published his book for children Slepenie svētki [Secret Celebration]. In 2020 Joņevs' first collection of stories Tīģeris [Tiger] was published by "Dienas Grāmata". 

Joņevs translates from French – A. Kristoff's The Notebook, and B. M. Kolté's In the Solitude of Cotton Fields.

Jānis Joņevs together with Mārcis Lācis have written a play for the black comedy theatre performance  Bārdas/The Beards staged at Dirty Deal Teatro in Riga in 2015, and the play Rīga. Urbānie mīti/ Riga. Urban Myths staged at the New Riga Theatre in 2016. Also together with publicist Anete Konste they have written stories for the theatre performance Zvērīgā mīla/ Beastly Love staged at Dirty Deal Tearo in 2017.

Prose

Decembris [December]. Riga: Ascendum, 2022.

Tīģeris [Tiger]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2020.

Jelgava '94. Riga: Mansards, 2013. Printed and in e-book format.

Children's books

Slepenie svētki [Secret Celebration]. Riga: Liels un mazs, 2014.

Other

Pazudis [Missing]. Riga: Neputns, 2023.

Sona Adamyan. Latvian author on the bestseller Jelgava 94 // Hraparak, November 2024 [ARM]

TV presentation of the Latvian novel by Jānis Joņevs // Newmag.am, November 2024 [ARM]

Angela Hambardzumyan. Jelgava of the 1990s, through the eyes of a Latvian writer // Armenpress, November 2024 [ARM]

Tom Tivnan. Spotlight - Author Interview Jānis Joņevs, Andris Kalnozols mention (in print) // The Bookseller, October, 2023 [EN]

Brenda Lelie. PROSE Jelgava 94 by Jānis Joņevs // Pasuit, July, 2023 [NL]

“Is it easy to be Latvian?" Latvian Literature-film festival 2023 // Ostraum, June, 2023 [DE]

Kurosawa Ayumi. Introduction to Latvian literature // Eubungaku, 2023 [JP]

Latvian Literature at Frankfurt: When Introversion is a Bold Choice // Publishing Perspectives, October, 2022 [EN]

Massimiliano De Ritis. Us and them. Interview with Jānis Joņevs // Benandanti, May 2023 [IT]

Margherita Carbonaro suggests reading and translating Jānis Joņevs // poloniaeuropae.it, May, 2023 [IT]

Lettisches Literaturfilmfestival Berlin: In Riga, um Riga und um Riga herum // Tagesspiegel, May 2023 [DE]

Jan Brahmann. Everything that moves needs warmth // Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in print), February 2023 [DE]

Jānis Joņevs. Victory // Bodyliterature, February 2023 [DE]

Lettische Literatur auf Netflix! // lettlandlesen.com, January 2023 [DE]

Black Destination // Dwutygodnik, November 2022 [PL]

Interview with writer Jānis Joņevs // Radio Eins, September 2022 [DE]

Jānis Joņevs and Semjon Hanin at the Berlin International Literature Festival 2022 // Kultur lettland, August 2022  [DE]

Latvian best-selling novel "Metal '94" // Book Asahi, August 2022 [JPN]

Jānis Joņevs. Method // Zurnalas Metai, July 2022 [LT]

Five new books in Albanian from contemporary European literature // Exlibris, June 2022 [AL]

Hot list books 2022 // Hotlist-online, June 2022 [DE]

About Jānis Joņevs // Sirp.ee, 2020 [EE]

Short story "Letters" from Tiger translated into Russian // Prochtenie.org, 2020 [RU]

"Burti" story from Tiger // Online magazine Satori, 2020 [LV]

About Tiger // Diena.lv, 2020 [LV]

Video review of Doom 94 // Aim Pé Bé, 2018 [EN]

About the play Riga. Urban Legends // Jaunais Rīgas Teātris, 2016 [LV]

About the adaptation of Jelgava '94 // Online magazine Satori, 2015 [LV]

About the play Beards // Dirty Deal Teatro, 2015 [LV]

Winner of the European Union Prize for Literature // euprizeliterature.eu, 2014 [EN]

Nikola Delescluse. Jānis Joņevs, Tiger, review // SoundCloud, December 2024 [FR]

Evlyne-Leraut. Jānis Joņevs.Tiger, review // Evlyne Leraut Canalblog, December 2024 [FR]

Jānis Joņevs.Tiger, review // Actualitte, October 2024 [FR]

Par Sacha. Jānis Joņevs. Metal, review // September 2024 [FR]

Jānis Joņevs Doom 94, review // Popupmonster, September 2024 [FR]

Jelgava '94, review // Perlentaucher, February 2023 [DE]

Ville Hytönen. The award-winning depiction of the youth of the 90's excites the cult names of metal music, review Jelgava '94 (Doom 94) // Helsinki Sanomat, December 2022 [FI]

When the music was louder, the bandits were more dangerous and the hair was longer. Review of the book by Jānis Joņevs “Jelgava '94” // Przeglad Baltycki, October 2022 [PL]

30 Best Music Books To Read , review of Jelgava '94 (Doom 94) // The Uncorked Librarian, September 2022 [ENG]

The most interesting premieres of the week, review of Jelgava '94 // Booklips.pl, September 2022 [PL]

Tobias Lehmkuhl. Jānis Joņevs: „Jelgava 94“ // Deutschland Funk, September 2022 [DE]

Announced books. Jelgava 94 // Strefa Music Art , September 2022 [PL]

Christine Pfeifer. Heard the shot. review of Jelgava '94 // Jungle world, September 2022 [DE]

Albert Caspari. Jelgava 94 by Jānis Joņevs // Radio Weser.TV, Baltische Stunde, August 2022 [DE]

Jelgava 94, review // urag.exblog, August 2022 [JP]

In the backyard of the vest pocket, review Jelgava 94 // Readindie.wordpress.com, July 2022 [DE]

Albert Caspari. Jānis Joņevs: Jelgava 94 // Baltbuch.blogspot, May, 2022 [DE]

Bettina Bergmann.Jānis Joņevs: Jelgava 94 // Lese Jury, April 2022 [DE]

Branko Prlja. Doom 94, a Novel About Extreme Times & Music in Post-socialistic Latvia // Literature Salon, April 2022 [ENG]

Guntis Berelis, Priecīgs tīģeris bez metāla astes, review of Tiger // Online magazine Satori, 2020 [LV]

Andrejs Vīksna, Apspēlēt likteni, review of Tiger // Online magazine Punctum, 2020 [LV]

Bārbala Simsone, Nedomā par tīģeri, review of Tiger // Diena.lv, 2020 [LV]

Žulijens Nuhums Kulibali, Pusaudžu filma visām paaudzēm, review of the film Jelgava '94 // Kino raksti, 2019 [LV]

Uldis Rudaks, Pārmaiņu nepanesamais aromāts, review of the film Jelgava '94 // Diena.lv, 2019 [LV]

Inga Gaile, Par lietu lārtību jeb kurš ēda desmaizīte, review of Secret Celebration // Online magazine Satori, 2015 [LV]

Rihards Krūkliņš, Zudusī Paaudze, review of Jelgava '94 // UbiSunt, University of Latvia, 2014 [LV]

Katrīna Rudzīte, Ceļā uz metālu, review of Jelgava '94 // Online magazine Satori, 2013 [LV]

Helmuts Caune, Godīgi par pagātni, review of Jelgava '94 // Online magazine Satori, 2013 [LV]

Arnis Koroševskis, Es klausos dziesmas, tātad – esmu, review of Jelgava '94 // UbiSunt, University of Latvia, 2013 [LV]

Guntis Berelis, Kurts šauj Amerikā un trāpa Jānim Latvijā, review of Jelgava '94 // Blog Guntis Berelis vērtē, 2013 [LV]

2021, the Annual Latvian Literature Award for Tiger

2014, European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL) for Jelgava '94

2014, 1kg of Culture Prize awarded by the LTV1 television show 100 Grams of Culture for Jelgava '94

2013, the Annual Latvian Literature Award Best Debut for Jelgava '94