Jana Egle

Jana Egle, born in 1963, is a Latvian poet and prose writer. Her first collection of poems Dzirdēt noklusēto [To Hear the Unsaid] was published in 2002. She has been writing prose since 2011. In the 2015 Prose Readings Festival, she received the main prize for her stories Tāds Rudens [Such Autumn] and Aiziet jūriņā [At Sea]. Egle's collection of stories Gaismā [Into the Light] won the Annual Latvian Literature Award 2017 and her episodic novel Svešie jeb Miļeņkij ti moi [Strangers or Milenky ty moy] was shortlisted for the Annual Latvian Literature Award 2019. Jana has an MA in Pedagogy and has worked in libraries and pre-school education. Besides writing poetry and prose, Egle also sees songwriting as a great part of the literary tradition, and actively participates in the bard movement in Latvia. She writes songs with her own and other poets' lyrics, and since 2011 has been involved in various singer/songwriter festivals. Two of her compositions were included in the songbook Austras draugu dziesmas [The Songs of Austra's Friends], published in 2016.
 

Bovijs un 12 putnēni [Bowie and 12 Little Birds]. Riga: Latvijas Mediji, 2024.

Latvju pacients [Latvian patient]. Riga: Latvijas Mediji, 2023.

Dzimšanas diena [Birthday]. Riga: Latvijas Mediji, 2020. 

Svešie jeb Miļeņkij ti moi [Strangers or Milenky ty moy]. Riga: Latvijas Mediji, 2018. 

Gaismā [Into the Light]. Riga: Lauku Avīze, 2016.

Dzirdēt noklusēto [To Hear the Unsaid], Riga: LiePa, 2002.
 

Three Percent Podcast #196: The Latvian Triptych // Podcasts.apple, March, 2025 [EN]

Kicking off the Latvian Translator Triptych  // threepercentproblem, March, 2025 [EN]

Pierce Alquist. The Most Anticipated Books In Translation of 2025, mention // Bookriot,  January, 2025 [EN]

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

About Birthday // Online magazine Satori, 2020 [LV]

Conversation with Jana Egle about Birthday // LA.lv, 2020 [LV]

Interview with Jana Egle // LA.lv, 2018 [LV]

Interview with Jana Egle // Online magazine Punctum, 2017 [LV]

About Into the Light // Online magazine Satori, 2016 [LV]

Conversation with Jana Egle // LA.lv, 2016 [LV]

Birthday, review // Kirkus reviews, April 2025 [EN]

With love from Latvia, Birthday review // The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog, March 2025 [EN]

Jana Egle. Birthday // Publishers Weekly, December 2024 [EN]

Andrejs Vīksna, Īstās dzīves čerņa, review of Birthday // Online magazine Satori, 2020 [LV]

Bārbala Simsone, Mīlestības deficīta sindroms, review of Birthday // Diena.lv, 2020 [LV]

Zanda Gūtmane, Gaidītā un saņemtā samērs, review of Birthday // Online magazine Punctum, 2020 [LV]

Ingmāra Balode, Svešu man tevi nevajag, review of Strangers or Milenky ty moy // Online magazine Satori, 2019 [LV]

Ieva Melgalve, Asaru rulete, review of Strangers or Milenky ty moy // Online magazine Punctum, 2018 [LV]

Bārbala Simsone, Mūsu debesu DNS, review of Strangers or Milenky ty moy // Diena.lv, 2018 [LV]

Anda Kuduma, Gaismas apsolījums, review of Into the Light // Liepājniekiem.lv, 2017 [LV]

Arturs Skutelis, Gaismā izceltā cilvēku tumsa, review of Into the Light // Online magazine Punctum, 2017 [LV]

Sandra Ratniece, Duālā gaisma Janas Egles stāstu krājumā, review of Into the Light // LA.lv, 2017 [LV]

Bārbala Simsone, Slēpto teritoriju revīzija, review of Into the Light // Diena.lv, 2017 [LV]

Laura Brokāne, Gaismas slazdā, review of Into the Light // Online magazine Punctum, 2017 [LV]

2021, shortlisted for European Union Prize for Literature for Birthday

2019, shortlisted for the Annual Latvian Literature Award for Strangers or Milenkiy ty moy

2016, the Annual Latvian Literature Award Best Prose for Into the Light  

2014, 2016, Prose Readings Festival Award

2015, Prose Readings Festival Award