Māra Zālīte

Poet and playwright Māra Zālīte was born in 1952 in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, where her family had been deported in 1941 by the Soviet regime. When Zālīte was four years old, her family returned to Latvia. In addition to her writing career, Zālīte has worked at the Latvian Writers’ Union, served as editor-in-chief of the literary magazine Karogs, and headed the Latvian Copyright Agency.

She is the author of six poetry collections and 21 staged plays and musicals, several children’s books, essay collections, and novels Five Fingers (2013) and Birds of Paradise (2018). She has won numerous literary awards, including the prestigious J. G. Herder Prize in 1993. She is an emeritus member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. Her works have been translated into several languages, including German, Russian, English, Estonian, Lithuanian, and Swedish, among others.

Fiction
Paradīzes putni [Birds of Paradise]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2018.
Pieci pirksti [Five Fingers]. Rīga: Mansards, 2013.

Poetry
Dzeja. Izlases. Ķīniešu valodā [Collection of Poems in Chinese]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2019.
Apkārtne [The World Around Me]. Riga: Preses nams, 1997.
Debesis, debesis[Heaven, Heaven]. Riga: Liesma, 1988.
Nav vārdam vietas [No Place for Words]. Riga: Liesma, 1985.
Rīt varbūt [Perhaps Tomorrow]. Riga: Liesma, 1979.
Vakar zaļajā zālē [Yesterday, in the Green Grass]. Riga: Liesma, 1977.

Children's literature
Mamma un tētis kūrortā [Mama and Papa at a Resort]. Riga: Dienas grāmata, 2016.
Tango un Tūtiņa ciemos [Tango and Tutina on a visit]. Riga: Liels un mazs, 2011. 

Plays
Lācis. The National Theatre, Riga, 2009.
Priekules Ikars [The Icarus of Priekule]. Dailes Theatre, Riga, 2009.
Leļļu opera [Puppet Opera], children’s opera libretto, composer Jānis Lūsēns, premiere – the Latvian National Opera, Riga, 2008.
Pērs Gints nav mājās [Peer Gynt is not at home], premiere - Dailes Theatre, Riga. Play chosen to represent Latvia at the Baltic Theatre Festival 2007 in Lithuania, 2007.
Hotel Kristina, premiere – The National Theatre, Riga, 2006.
Še tev Žūpu Bērtulis! [Surely not Tippler Bertulis?], premiere – Dailes Theatre, Riga, 2004.
Zemes nodoklis [All Cats ar Human], premiere - Dailes Teathre, Riga, 2003.
Mistērija par sapni un mīlestību [A Love and Dream Mystery]. 2003.
Sauciet to par teātri [Call It Theater]. Riga: Jumava, 2001.
Margarēta [Margaret], premiere – The New Theatre of Riga, 2001.
Tobāgo [Tobago], a tragicomic musical, composer Uldis Marhilēvičs, premiere – Dailes Theatre, Riga, 2001.
Sfinksa [Sphinx], rock opera libretto, composer Jānis Lūsēns, premiere – The National Theatre, Riga, 2001.
Putnu opera [The Birds’ Opera], children’s opera libretto, composer Jānis Lūsēns 1997, premiere – The National Opera, Riga, 2000.
Neglītais pīlēns [The Ugly Duckling], musical libretto, composer Jānis Lūsēns, premiere – The Theatre of Liepāja, 2000.
Indriķa hronika [Chronicle of Henricus], rock opera libretto, composer Jānis Lūsēns, premiere – The National Theatre, Riga, 1999.
Kaupēn, mans mīļais [Kaupen, My Dear], rock opera libretto, composer Jānis Lūsēns, premiere – The Theatre of Liepāja, 1998.
Eža kažociņš [The Hedgehog’s Prickly Coat], premiere – The Theatre of Valmiera, 1993.
Meža gulbji [The Wild Swans], musical libretto, composer Raimonds Pauls, premiere – Dailes Theatre, Riga,1993.
Dzīvais ūdens [Living Water], premiere – Youth Theatre, Riga, 1988.
Lāčplēsis [The Bearslayer], rock opera libretto, composer Zigmārs Liepiņš, premiere – Riga Sports Hall, 1988.
Tiesa [Trial], written 1982, premiere – Dailes Theatre, Riga, 1985.
Pilna Māras istabiņa [Mara’s Room is Full – The Myth], premiere – Youth Theatre, Riga, 1983.

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

Susanne von Schenck. Māra Zālīte's novel Five Fingers. The deportation from a child's point of view // Deutschland Funk Kultur, October 2022 [GER]

Let's get to know Latvian fiction // Savb.lt, September 2022 [LT]

Jukka Rislakki .Pioneers and the Red Army are present in the gems of contemporary Latvian literature // Helsingin Sanomat, January 2022 [FI]

Evelin Arust. Childhood in Latvia // sirp.ee, October, 2015 [EST]

Māra Zālīte web page// http://www.marazalite.lv [LV, EN]

Māra Zālīte, poems in English// The Drunken Boat [EN]

Interview with Māra Zālīte // Diena.lv, 2015 [LV]

Interview with Māra Zālīte // Diena.lv, 2011 [LV]

Bright and sad about the occupied childhood: the new novel "Birds of Paradise" by M. Zālīte // Bernardinai.lt, December 2021 [LT]

Māra Zālīte: Birds of Paradise, review // Kirjarikaselamani.blogspot,  December 2021 [FI]

Lights in the fog. Review of the anthology of Latvian poetry "All the birds that are in me..." translated by Olga Wiewióra, review // Przeglad baltycki, October 2021 [PL]

Māra Zālīte “Viienäpu”, review // edaade.wordpress, April, 2020 [EST]

Zane Grudule, Ar bērna muti runā patiesību, review of Birds of Paradise // University of Latvia, 2018 [LV]

Jūlija Dibovska, Gaidām trešo, review of Birds of Paradise // Online magazine Satori, 2018 [LV]

Bārbala Simsone, Iesākumā bija vista, review of Birds of Paradise // Diena.lv, 2018 [LV]

Māra Zālīte “Viienäpu”, review // aluik.blogspot, July, 2015 [EST]

Egils Zirnis, Zālītei piecinieks, review of Five Fingers // Diena.lv, 2014 [LV]

Inga Gaile, Visi pirksti sāp, review of Five Fingers // Online magazine Satori, 2014 [LV]

Undīne Adamaite, Sieviete Latvija grib cept kotletes savējiem, review of Tango and Tutina on a visit // Diena.lv, 2011 [LV]

2019, the Annual Latvian Literature award for Birds of Paradise

2015, Great Readers Award for Five Fingers

2013, the Annual Latvian Literature Award for Five fingers

2012, The International Jānis Baltvilks Prize for Tango and Tutina on a visit

2004, the Annual Latvian Literature Award for All Cats are Human

2001, the Annual Latvian Literature Award for Call It Theater

1995,  The Order of Three Stars for participation in the Barricades

1993, J. G. Herder Prize

1992, Aspazija Award

1982, Mayakovsky Award