The Latvian poet Astrīde Ivaska (1926-2015) was born in Riga and spent her childhood in Latvia, enjoying nature and literature while growing up. In 1940 her father was arrested and fearing further repressions, the rest of the family left Latvia in 1944, when the Red Army was already in Latvia. She spent several years in Germany, the U.S., Ireland, until in 2001 she returned to Riga in Latvia. All these experiences, absorbing different cultures and loging for your own home – are reflected upon in her poetry.
