Vizma Belševica

Vizma Belševica (1931 – 2005) is a Latvian poet, writer and translator. She was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. She spent most of her childhood in prewar Riga, the capital city of then democratic Latvia. Riga is often featured in her works, especially her famous autobiographic trilogy, however, the time she spent at the countryside with relatives also had a lasting impact on her writing. Despite growing up in a poor family, she spent much of her time reading classical literature. Vizma Belševica's poetry was first published in 1947, and 1955 saw the publishing of her first book of poems. During the post-Soviet period, Belševica wrote three semi-autobiographical books about a girl called Bille, following her life from the late 1930s, throughout the first year of Soviet occupation of Latvia (1940–41), the Nazi occupation (1941–45), and the first post-war years under Stalin's regime: Bille [Bille], 1992, 95), Bille un karš [Bille and War] (1996), Billes skaistā jaunība [The Wonderful Youth of Bille] (1999). On December 6, 1990, she was elected honorary member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences; and has received the highest award of the Latvian State – the Order of the Three Stars. Belševica's poetry and fiction has been translated in nearly 40 languages. Her poems were translated into English by Inara Cedrins for the anthology Contemporary Latvian Poetry published by the University of Iowa Press in 1983. 

Poetry
Baltās paslēpes [White Hide-and-seek] (1991)
Ievziedu aukstums [Cold of the Mayday tree blossoms] (1988)
Dzeltu laiks [Autumn Time] (1987)
Kamola tinēja [Yarn Ball Winder] (1981)
Madarās [In My Lady's Bedstraw] (1976)
Gadu gredzeni [Rings of Years] (1969)
Jūra deg [The Sea is Burning] (1966)
Zemes siltums [Warmth of the Earth] (1959)
Visu ziemu šogad pavasaris [Spring during Winter] (1955)

Prose
Billes skaistā jaunība [The Wonderful Youth of Bille] (1999)
Lauzta sirds uz goda dēļa [Broken Heart on the Board of Honour] (1997)
Bille dzīvo tālāk/Bille un karš [Bille Live On/Bille and War] (1996)
Bille (1992)
Nelaime mājās [Misfortune at Home] (1979)
Ķikuraga stāsti [Stories from Kikurags] (1965)

Children's literature
Patiess stāsts par Čingo Babu, Lielo Gliemezi un Jūras Karaļa bēdām [A True Story of Čingo Baba, Big Snail and the Sorrow of the Ruler of the Sea] (2007)
Zem zilās debesu bļodas [Under the Blue Sky] (1987)
Ceļreiz ceļš uz pasaciņu [Road to the Fairy-tale] (1985)

Collected works
Dienasgrāmata 1947-1960 [Diary 1947-1960]. Riga: Mansards, 2020.
Bille, Anss un citi [Bille, Anss and others] Riga: Mansards, 2017.
Nepazītā mīlestība un citi stāsti [Unknown Love and Other Stories] Riga: Mansards, 2016.
Atdzeja [Translated Poetry] Riga: Atēna, 2004.
Raksti, 1.-4. sējums [Collected works, I-IV]. Riga: Jumava, 1999—2002.
Par saknēm būt [To Be Rooted] Riga: Zvaigzne ABC, 1996.

Kurosawa Ayumi. Introduction to Latvian literature // Eubungaku, 2023 [JP]

Latvian poetry: Vizma Belševica // Circulodepoesia, September 2023 [ES]

Lauris Veips. Saying what you mean: trends in recent Latvian poetry // Versopolis, March 2023 [EN]

Vizma Belševica, the roots of poetry // eusebialaballenacommx.com, July 2022 [SP]

Translated poem by Mary-Jane Holmes // Modern Poetry in Translation, 2020 [EN]

About Diary 1947-1960 // Online magazine Satori, 2020 [LV]

Nora Ikstena recommends Annual Rings by Vizma Belševica // European Literature Network, 2018 [EN]

Undīne Adamaite, about Vizma Belševica // Diena.lv, 2016 [LV]

"If I had the power, I could hate, but hate is too overwhelming an emotion", review Bille // rozentals-seura.fi, April 2022 [FI]

Jūlija Dibovska, Vēsturisks darījums ar lasītāju, review of Diary // Online magazine Satori, 2020 [LV]

Aivars Madris, Bille dzīvo ekrānā, review of film adaptation of Bille // Online magazine Satori, 2018 [LV]

2004, the Annual Latvian Literature Award for best translation of poetry

2002, the Annual Latvian Literature Award, Lifetime Achievement

1994, the Order of Three Stars