Laima Kota

Laima Kota (previously Laima Muktupāvela, born Vucina in 1962) is a Latvian prose writer. Currently Laima is publishing under her married name Laima Kota. She graduated from the University of Latvia in 1989 with a degree in History. Kota has had a wide variety of professions from manual jobs to modelling at the Art Academy of Latvia, and writing and editing for "Latvijas Avīze" newspaper and "Karogs" magazine. Her creative work was first published in 1993. Her widely read work Šampinjonu Derība [The Mushroom Covenant] was one of the most popular books of its decade and received the Annual Latvian Literature Award in 2002. Laima Kota works in a wide range of styles, and her books demonstrate this diversity in magical realism, in her historical, biographical and documentary prose and well received children's literature. Her latest novel Istaba [The Room] has been published as part of the We. Latvia. The 20^th Century historical series in 2016.

Cilvēks ar zilo putnu [The Man with a Blue Bird]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2020.
Istaba [The Room]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2016.
Mierielas vilkme [The Lure of Miera Street]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2016.
Matilde un Terēze jeb kā būt Te, Tur un Citur [Matilda and Theresa, or How to be Here, There and Elsewhere]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2013.
Mana turku kafija [My Turkish Coffee]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2012.
BrāliBrāli: balsu burvji brāļi Kokari [BrotherBrother: The Wizards of Voices – Kokari Brothers]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2008.
Totēmi [Totems]. Riga: Jumava, 2007.
Mīla. Benjamiņa [Love. Benjamin]. Riga: Apgāds Daugava, 2005.
Cilpa [The Loop]. Riga: Karogs, 2003.
Patiesu dzīves stāstu ducis [A Dozen of True Life Stories]. Riga: Apgāds Daugava, 2002.
Šampinjonu Derība [The Mushroom Covenant]. Riga: Apgāds Daugava, 2002.

About The Man with a Blue Bird // Online magazine Satori, 2020 [LV]

Conversation with Laima Kota // 15min.lt, 2020 [LT]

About The Lure of Miera Street // Latvijas Sabiedriskie Mediji, 2016 [LV]

About The Room // Online magazine Satori, 2016 [LV]

About The Lure of Miera Street // Dienas Grāmata, 2015 [LV]

About Matilda and Theresa, or How to be Here, There and Elsewhere // Online magazine Satori, 2014 [LV]

Laima Muktupāvela, artist's profile // The Council of the Creative Unions of Latvia [LV]

Laima Muktupāvela, encyclopedia entry // Letonika.lv [LV]

Laima Kota-Muktupāvela, Matilda and Theresa, or How to be Here, There and Elsewhere // Annual Latvian Literature Award, laligaba.lv [LV]

About BrotherBrother: The Wizards of Voices – Kokari Brothers // Jānis Roze publishing house website [LV]

Review of The Room // Knygu ziurkes, 2020 [LT]

Ilze Jansone, Viegli par laikmeta izjūtu, review of The Room // Online magazine Punctum, 2017 [LV]

Bārbala Simsone, Savs kaktiņš, savs mandarīns, review of The Room // Diena.lv, 2016 [LV]

Bārbala Simsone, Dzimtene ielas garumā, review of The Lure of Miera Street // Diena.lv, 2016 [LV]

Arnolds Slotiņš, Dzīve ar koriem, review of BrotherBrother: The Wizards of Voices – Kokari Brothers // Dienas Grāmata, 2008 [LV]

2009, Eduards Veidenbaums Literary Prize for BrotherBrother

2003, Magazine "Karogs" and R. Gerkens Competition award for the thriller "The Loop"

2002, the Annual Latvian Literature Award Best Prose for The Mushroom Covenant