Ojārs Vācietis (1933 – 1983) is a celebrated translator and poet with one of the largest footprints in Latvian contemporary literature. After having finished a local high school, in 1952, Vācietis went on to study philology at the University of Latvia (1952-1957). Since 1958 he worked as an editor in several Latvian magazines and newspapers such as  “Literatūra un Māksla” (“Literature and Art”), et al., in the Riga Cinema Studio, and in publishing industry. One of his biggest achievements in the 1960s was the collection of poems Elpa/Breath (1966). Many of his works discussed social issues, tragic events of his time, revealed hypocrisy and demagogy in politics. His poetry is characterised by poetical directness, intensity and lyricism, along with a grotesque portrayal of social life. Vācietis' poems have been translated into Russian, Geaorgian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Estonian, and English, and many of his lyric works have been adapted for musical compositions, cantatas, and animations. Vācietis also wrote poems for children, published in collections Sasiesim astes/Let Us Tie Ourselves up by Our Tails (1967), Kabata/The Pocket (1976) and selection Astoņi kustoņi/Eight Animals (1984); and prose, as well as translated poetry and other works, like Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita. Selected works by Ojārs Vācietis have been published in 10 volumes.