Uldis Bērziņš | Latvia

(b. 1944 in Riga) –  poet and translator. He studied Latvian poetry at the University of Latvia (1962-1964). He published his first poems in 1963, and the first collection of poetry was published in 1980. He studied Turkish language at the Department of Oriental Studies at the University of Leningrad (1968- 1971). He took part in the international seminar on translation at Amsterdam Open University, and field research at the Theological Department of Lund University concerning translating Quran. Since 2002 he has taught Turkish at the Department of Neophilology at Latvian University.  He translates from Slovakian, Hebrew, Turkish, Iranian, German. He’s considered one of the most important contemporary Latvian translators who influence the poetry and translations of many poets. He is the member of the Latvian Committee working on and supervising the Bible and he’s a honorary member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences (1992).  He received the Three Star Order (1995), Zinaida Lazda Award (1994), The Baltic Assembly Award (1995) and Spindol Award (Lat. Spīdola balva) (2000) by Latvian Culture Foundation. In 2009 received the Poetry Days Award for translating poetry. In the same year, he won the annual Literary Award for his collection of poems Saruna ar Pastnieku. In 2017, he received a lifetime achievement award.  Bērziņš is one of the most important figures in contemporary Latvian literature, the idol of many poets, writers and readers around the world. His poetry translations have shaped the Latvian literary tradition.