Māris Čaklais

Māris Čaklais (1940 – 2003) was a Latvian poet, writer, and journalist. Čaklais studied journalism at the University of Latvia and first published his work in 1960, and since then he has published 16 books of poetry, 5 books of selected poems, 5 collections of children's poems, 4 books of essays and prose . He has translated seminal works of influential authors into Latvian, including the ones of Bertolt Brecht, Paul Celan, Hans Magnus Enzensberger, and Rainer Maria Rilke. He is the author of music lyrics for films and theatre plays. Čaklais has worked for newspapers "Literatūra un Māksla" (Literature and Art) and "Literatūra un Māksla Latvijā” (Literature and Art in Latvia), as well as for the Radio Free Europe. In 2000, Čaklais participated in the Literature Express Europe project. From 2000 to 2003, he was the editor-in-chief of the literary journal "Karogs". Čaklais has been awarded the Fridtjof Nansen International Award (1994), the Latvian Annual Literature Award (2000), the Order of the Three Stars (2000), and the prestigious Herder Prize (2002).

Poetry
Pagaidu latvietis [A Provisional Latvian]. Riga: Elpa, 2002.
Mana mājas lapa tavai mājas lapai [From My Homepage to Yours]. Riga: Jānis Roze, 2000.
Vientuļš riteņbraucējs [A Lonely Cyclist]. Riga: Preses nams, 1997.
Izgāja bulvārī Brīvība [The Freedom Went Out on the Boulevard]. USA: Mežābele, 1994.
Slepeni ugunskuri [Secret Bonfires]. Riga: Teātra anekdotes, 1992.
Labrīt, Heraklīt! [Good Morning, Heraclitus!]. Riga: Liesma, 1989.
Mīlnieks atgriežas noziegumvietā [A Lover Returns to the Crime Scene]. Riga: Zinātne, 1989.
Cilvēksauciena attālumā [At a Shouting Distance]. Riga: Liesma, 1984.
Kurzemes klade [A Notebook of Kurzeme]. Riga: Liesma, 1982.
Pulksteņu ezers [A Lake of Clocks]. Riga: Liesma, 1979.
Strautuguns [The Glitter of a Stream]. Riga: Liesma, 1978.
Cilvēks, uzarta zeme [A Man, Ploughed Land]. Riga: Liesma, 1976.
Sastrēgumstunda [The Peak Hour]. Riga: Liesma, 1974.
Zāļu diena [A Day of Flowers]. Riga: Liesma, 1972.
Lapas balss [The Voice of a Leaf]. Riga: Liesma, 1969.
Kājāmgājējs un mūžība [A Walker and the Eternity]. Riga: Liesma, 1967.
Pirmdiena [Monday]. Riga: Liesma, 1965.

Children's Books
Jautrā govs, skumjā govs/ proza [A Happy Cow, a Gloomy Cow/ fiction]. Riga: Pētergailis, 2002.
Aprīļa pilieni [The Droplets of April]. Riga: Liesma, 1990.
Ķocis [The Little Old Basket]. Riga: Liesma, 1984.
Minkuparks [Kitty Park]. Riga: Liesma, 1978.
Bimm-bamm. Riga: Liesma, 1973.
Divi dzīvi zaldātiņi un citas pasakas [Two Live Soldiers and Other Tales]. Riga: Likteņstāsti, 1966.

Other Writing
Profesionālis un ziedlapiņas [A Professional and Flower Petals]. Riga: Liesma, 1985.
Nozagtā gliemežnīca [The Stolen Seashell]. Riga: Liesma, 1980.
Saule rakstāmgaldā [The Sun in the Writing Desk]. Riga: Liesma, 1975.
Dzer avotu, ceļiniek [Drink from the Spring, Traveler]. Riga: Liesma, 1969.
Izaicinājums. Pirmā Latvijas Valsts prezidente Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga [A Challenge: the First Woman President of Latvia, Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga]. Riga: Pētergailis, 2003.
Gaismas kungs jeb sāga par Gunaru Birkertu [The Lord of Light or a Saga on Gunārs Birkerts]. Riga: Pētergailis, 2002.
ImKa, par komponistu Imantu Kalniņu. [About the composer Imants Kalniņš, ImKa: Imants Kalniņš in Time and Space]. Riga: Jumava, 1998.
Laiks iegravē sejas [Time Engraves Faces]. Riga: Jāņa Rozes apgāds, 2000.
Dzeguzes balss. [The Voice of a Cuckoo.]. Riga: Zvaigzne ABC, 2000.
Uzraksti uz sētas [Writing on a Fence]. Riga: Zvaigzne ABC, 1999.
Četri balti krekli, dzeja. [Four White Shirts, poetry.]. Riga: Liesma, 1991.
Uz manām trepēm. [Come To My Stairwell. Lyrics.]. Riga: Liesma, 1979.
Spīdola un putnusuņi. [Spidola and the Bird-dogs. 50 love poems]. Riga: Likteņstāsti, 1977.
Viņi dejoja vienu vasaru. [They Danced for Only One Summer. Lyrics]. Riga: Likteņstāsti, 1966.

A Lonely Cyclist by Māris Čaklais, translated by Ieva Lešinska // Latvian Poetry Meets Romania, 2013 [EN]

Ceļojums dzejnieku pasaulē. Māris Čaklais. Egils Plaudis/ University of Latvia issues a Collection of Essays on the works of Māris Čaklais and Egils Plaudis // Online magazine Satori.lv, 2013 [LV]

Poetry by Māris Čaklais // Māris Čaklais homepage [LV]

Roberts Mūks, Bezdibeņa vilinājums, review of A Lover Returns to the Crime Scene // Juanā Gaita, no. 177, 1990 [LV]

Austra Gaigala, Personīgas pārdomas par personīgu tekstu, review of But - A Knot in the Sky // Online magazine Satori.lv, 2008 [LV]

2002, the Herder Prize University of Vienna

2000, the Order of the Three Stars

2000, the Annual Latvian Literature Award Best Poetry for From My Homepage to Yours

1994, the International Fridtjof Nansen Prize

1985, the title of the Honored Cultural Worker of the Soviet Republic of Latvia

1980, Latvian Communist Youth award

1976, Andrejs Upītis Prize