Māris Bērziņš

Māris Bērziņš (1962) is a writer. Māris Bērziņš has worked in the Ministry of Culture, and the Ministry of Economics of the Republic of Latvia, he established and for a while managed the State Culture Capital Foundation, as well as the Electricity Regulatory Board, and the Utilities Regulatory Board of Riga. After this colourful career Māris Bērziņš decided to turn to literature and currently works as a full time writer. His novel Taste of Lead (2015) has been included in the series of historical novels We. Latvia. The 20th Century. The novel focuses on the World War II period from 1939 – 1941 when Latvia was occupied by the Soviet Russia, and by Germany. Based on a thorough research and interviews with a ghetto survivor, the novel discusses the subject of the Holocaust in Latvia, emphasizing the global significance of these events. This novel has won several prestigious literary awards in Latvia and has been adapted for theatre at the National Theatre of Latvia (2016, director Valers Sīlis). It is now one of the milestones in Latvian literature since Bēriziņš was the first to dedicate a novel solely to this subject matter.

Māris Bērziņš’s collection of short fiction Gūtenmorgens is written in the manner of absurd anecdotes about a character named Gūtenmorgens. It was first published in 2007, and repeatedly put in print in 2009. Several of the stories about Gūtenmorgens have been turned into short films, e.g., Gūtenmorgens and the Time Machine (2009, director Elīna Ļihačova). Gūtenmorgens has gradually become Māris Bērziņš's alter ego, and he continues to write stories about his adventures. This character is the embodiment of the particular taste and lightness of humour that Māris Bērziņš possesses as an author.

The character Pigman / Cūkmens from Māris Bērziņš's book for children The Fat Stranger has become an image and symbol of nature-friendly attitude nationwide. Māris Bērziņš is an active member of the Latvian Writers' Union.

Prose
Nākotnes kalējs [Blacksmith of the future]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2021.
Aizliegtais pianīns [The Banned Piano]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2019.
Gūtenmorgens. Otrreiz [Gūtenmorgens. Second time]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2017.
Gūtenmorgens (pirm'reiz) [Gūtenmorgens. Once]. Riga, Dienas Grāmata, 2017. 
Svina Garša [Taste of Lead]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2015.
Sveiks, Dzintar Mihail! [Hello, Dzintars Mihails!]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2013.
Titāna skrūves [Titanium Screws]. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2011.
Gūtenmorgens [Gūtenmorgens]. Riga: Karogs, 2007; Riga: Mansards, 2009.
Ērika Trauma sapnis [Ēriks Traums’ Dream]. Riga: Pētergailis, 2003.

Children's Books
Resnais svešinieks [The Fat Stranger]. Rīga: Liels un mazs, 2008.

Plays
Iztēlojies. Trīs lugas [Imagine. Three Plays]. Rīga: Mansards, 2009.

Miscellaneous
Laika pavēlnieki [Commanders of Time]. Short prose for sculptures of Aigars Bikše. Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2011.

Ten books you should read now. The Taste of Lead // Helsingin Sanomat, February 2025 [FI] 

The taste of lead. A big novel about a small man (video) // Newmag, November 2023 [AM]

The TV presentation of Maris Berzinsh's novel "The Taste of Lead" // Newmag, November 2023 [AM]

New book-45/23. Khorenatsi, Berzinsh, Janson, Johnson, Taleb // Armenpress, November 2023 [AM]

The best of 2021 translated books: contemporary fiction // llvs.lt April 2022 [LT]

Laura Laurušaitė. That eternal taste of lead. A conversation with the Latvian writer M. Bērziņš // Bernardinai.lt, March 2022 [LT]

The novel about the Holocaust "The Taste of Lead" is the most discussed book in Latvia in recent years // Delfi.lt, February 2022 [LT]

About The Banned Piano // Online magazine Satori, 2019 [LV]

Excerpt from The Taste of Lead // European Literature Network, 2018 [EN]

Līga Rušeniece, interview with Māris Bērziņš // NRA newspaper, 2016 [LV]

Undīne Adamaite, interview with Māris Bērziņš // Culture newspaper Kultūras Diena, 2015 [LV]

Baltic Assembly Prize for Literature awarded to Māris Bērziņš // Saeima homepage, 2015 [EN]

Guntis Berelis, interview with Māris Bērziņš // Guntis Berelis' Literary Review Blog, 2011 [LV]

A terrible time in Latvia. Book review. // Panurajala, February 2025 [FI]

Mikko.The taste of Lead // Kirjavinkit, February 2025 [FI]

Veli-Pekka Leppänen. Book review. The taste of Lead. // Helsingin Sanomat, January 2025 [FI]

Pasi Salminen.The taste of Lead // Kiiltomato, December 2024 [FI]

Book Club is reading. Māris Bērziņš "Taste of Lead" // gerosknygos.pavb.lt, May, 2023 [LT]

Nicolas Auzanneau. The blacksmith of the future, Vilis Lācis, review  M.Bērziņš novel // Le Grand Continent,  October 2021 [FR]

Zanda Gūtmane, Lielais māneklis Laiks, review of Blacksmith of the future // Online magazine Punctum, 2021 [LV]

Ieva Melgalve, Caur puķu lodziņu uz pelēko briesmoni, review of The Banned Piano // Online magazine Satori, 2020 [LV]

Ilze Jansone, Daudzdabis pianīns, review of The Banned Piano // Online magazine Punctum, 2020 [LV]

Bārbala Simsone, Spēle pēc noteikumiem, review of The Banned Piano // Diena.lv, 2020 [LV]

Bārbala Simsone, Gūtenmorgens lido atkal, review of Gūtenmorgens. Once // Diena.lv, 2017 [LV]

Lita Silova, Gūtenmorgens kvadrātā, review of Gūtenmorgens. Second time // Online magazine Punctum, 2017 [LV]

Bārbala Simsone, Garšo pēc lodes, review of Taste of Lead // Online magazine Punctum, 2015 [LV]

Undīne Adamaite, Galvenajā lomā – pati grāmata, theatre review of Taste of Lead // The Latvian National Theatre, 2016 [LV]

Normunds Naumanis, review of Hello, Dzintars Mihails! // Diena.lv, 2013 [LV]

Kristīne Ilziņa, Paradoksu meistars, review of Taste of Lead // Diena.lv, 2015 [LV]

Guntis Berelis, review of Commanders of Time // Guntis Berelis' Literary Review Blog [LV]

Review of the exhibition THE TIME WILL SAVE HISTORY// Galery Māksla XO homepage, 2010 [EN]

2016, the Annual Latvian Literature Award Best Prose Work for Taste of Lead

2015, the Baltic Assembly Prize for Literature for Taste of Lead

2015, Dzintars Sodums Award for Taste of Lead

2009, the Annual Latvian Literature Award Best Drama Work of the Year for Imagine. Three Plays