Winner of the 2017 European Union Prize for Literature and a nominee
for the 2014 Annual Latvian Literature Award, this novel is a about the birth of the national consciousness of the Latvian nation, one generation of the nation’s teachers, the courage to oppose the insanity of violence and the consequences of failing to prevail over personal fear. It is 1905 in Riga, a city rocked by workers’ riots, violence, and pogroms during the waning days of the Russian Empire, when the Tsar is gradually losing his grip over his vast domain. Revolution is in the air – brother pitted against brother, social unrest and turmoil force people to choose sides. Amid this upheaval, a former schoolteacher becomes involved in the revolution, but soon realizes that the impending war is bound to require more of him than he is willing to give.

Contacts: Dace Sparāne-Freimane, dace.sparane-freimane@dgramata.lv 

Māra is a novel about a group of sixteen-year olds. It tells of their first encounter with pivotal choices and decisions. Māra, the protagonist, has been close friends with three classmates—Edgar, Paul, and Mārtiņš—since first grade. In high school, she is forced to deal with problems resulting from two new classmates, and with her friends’ betrayal. Then, the long-cherished friendship suddenly shatters. When even her own home isn’t safe anymore, when the old foundations have disappeared but she doesn’t yet have new ones underfoot, Māra ends up making a desperate move...

This is a story about courage—about Māra’s journey from self-awareness to her acceptance and manifestation of that awareness. In the four parts of the novel, Māra deals with what she believes are mistakes, inadequacies, and the fact that she doesn’t fit in—issues that are all so significant in adolescence. Sometimes these issues remain significant throughout someone’s life. That’s why this isn’t stereotypical “YA literature.” Rather, it’s literature that explores the process of growing up.

Contact: Dace Sparāne-Freimane, dace.sparane-freimane@dgramata.lv