A conversation on Astrīde Ivaska on August 26

On August 7, 2026, the 100th anniversary of the birth of poet and translator Astrīde Ivaska will be commemorated. To mark this occasion, on August 26 at 6:00 p.m., the Latvian National Museum of Writing and Music, Mārstaļu iela 6, will host a conversation entitled “.. ir laiks atkal savā valodā varēt” (“.. it is time to be able again in one’s own language”) – Astrīde Ivaska in Life, Poetry and Memory.

The event will explore Astrīde Ivaska’s personality and literary work through the stories of researchers, writers, poets and publishers, personal recollections, readings of her poetry, and recordings of the author’s own voice. The musical atmosphere will be created by kokle player Laima Jansone.

The conversation will feature literary scholar Anita Rožkalne; publisher and writer Inguna Ula Cepīte; poet and Associate Professor at Ventspils University Jānis Vādons; literary scholar Elvis Friks, Research Assistant at the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia; and Inguna Daukste-Silasproģe, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia and an art expert at the Latvian National Museum of Writing and Music, who will also moderate the conversation.

Astrīde Ivaska was born on August 7, 1926, into the family of Latvian Army General Mārtiņš Hartmanis. Following her father’s death and the upheavals of World War II, she fled to Germany with her family in 1944. There, she studied languages at the University of Marburg and, in 1949, married Estonian poet and literary scholar Ivar Ivask.

Latvia, the United States and Ireland played significant roles in the geography of her life. She was also deeply influenced by her travels and encounters with other countries, particularly Finland, Austria, Greece and Spain. In 2001, Astrīde Ivaska returned to Latvia, where she spent the final years of her life.

Astrīde Ivaska’s first poetry publications appeared in the journal Jaunā Gaita in 1959, and her first poetry collection, Ezera kristības (The Baptism of the Lake), was published in 1966. In total, she published four poetry collections, several selected volumes, works of prose poetry and books for children, as well as the extensive collection Dzeja un atdzeja(Poetry and Translations). Her works have been translated into numerous languages, while she herself translated into Latvian poetry by American, Finnish, Estonian, Italian, Lithuanian, French and other poets.

Astrīde Ivaska’s poetry is characterized by a subtle sensitivity to nature, a search for unity between the human being and the world, precision of language, and a quiet yet profound resonance. Writer Dzidra Zeberiņa described her as a “goldsmith and gem cutter” of language.

The conversation will offer an opportunity to get to know Astrīde Ivaska more closely as a person, to hear the timbre of her poetry, and to discover lesser-known stories from her life and creative work.

The event is organized in cooperation with the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia as part of the National Research Programme “Latvian Literature as Belonging: Personalities, Poetics, and the Public Sphere (LITBEL)” (No. VPP-IZM-Letonika-2025/1-0006).