Conversation with Jānis Zālītis

On November 14th at 6:00 PM, a meeting will take place with literary scholar Jānis Zālītis at the Andrejs Upīts Memorial Museum in Riga (Brīvības Street 38–4). This conversation continues the discussion series with authors of the book series “I Am…”, and this autumn, the museum hosts specifically the authors of the series' monographs—literary scholars. During the conversations, the authors will reflect on their specific research, the circumstances of their creation, the culturally and historically significant personalities described in them, and other intriguing nuances. The conversation will be led by the museum's senior specialist, Mg. phil. Arnis Koroševskis.

Following one of the most notable and significant events in recent Latvian literature—the historical novel series “We. Latvia, 20th Century” (2014–2018)—its initiators decided in 2018 to take the next steps with an even more impressive literary project. This time, to create a unique and unprecedented interaction project between literature and literary studies in Latvian cultural history, writers from various generations and literary experiences were gathered together, as well as literary scholars who focused on 13 significant personalities in Latvian cultural history—ranging from Anna Brigadere to Ilze Šķipsna. In 2020, the first literary works were published in the “I Am…” series, and since 2021, six monographs have been published in the series—Jānis Zālītis's research on Jānis Ziemeļnieks “Where the Flower Blooms…”, Arnis Koroševskis's research on Andrejs Upīts “The Great Denier” (2022), Ieva Struka's research on Anšlavs Eglītis “On the Beautiful and Wrong Life” (2022), Viesturs Vecgrāvis's research on Jānis Poruks “By the High Window” (2023), Inguna Daukste-Silasproģe's research on Gunars Janovskis “Voices Across the Sea” (2023), and this year—Gundega Grīnuma's compiled and commented diary of Ivande Kaija “I Tell Everything”.

On November 14th, literary scholar Jānis Zālītis will join the conversation at the museum, whose monograph “Where the Flower Blooms…” provides insight into the life and creative activity of the talented Latvian poet Jānis Ziemeļnieks (1897–1930).

Jānis Zālītis (born in 1951) is a literary historian and Doctor of Philology. He has participated in the academic edition of Rainis's Collected Works and the preparation of Imants Ziedonis's Works, co-author of the encyclopedic dictionary “Latvian Literature in Biographies”. He has written about the creative works and biographical issues of Lev Tolstoy, Rainis, Aspazija, Austra Skujiņa, Rihards Valdese, Valdemārs Kārkliņš, Andrejs Niedra, Jānis Sudrabkalns, and other literary figures; his monographic essay “The World on a Wing or Book Friend Helmars Rudzītis” was published in the newspaper “Laiks” (2004–2005). A member of the Writers’ Union since 2001.