Beginning
The readings started in 1977 in honour of Latvian writer Andrejs Upits 100th anniversary. Such readings took place until 1993. After a short break, the festival restarted in 1995. It was renewed by a group of fellow writers Janis Kalve, Nora Ikstena, Pauls Bankovskis, and others when they again organized a reading in the memorial house of Andrejs Upits. It became the starting point of the international literature festival Prose Readings that we know today.
The festival continues evolving, and it has grown into a marathon of international and cross-disciplinary events, that take place in libraries, museums, cafes, bars, train stations, trams or even in the open-air. The authors of different generations read their new works. The number of authors increases every year, and in the last years the festival gathered approximately seventy authors from Latvia, Baltic and other countries.
Several strong traditions have established, and nowadays the festival cannot be imagined without Baltic readings, which is an event enjoyed by Latvian audience and appreciated by Lithuanian and Estonian authors. Furthermore the young readers every year gather at interactive children literature readings. And the storm of ovations can be heard at Prose Brunch at restaurant Andaluzijas suns/ Andalusian Dog.
Over the time the festival has become a creative meeting place for authors and readers. It is a unique opportunity to hear the newest stories read by authors themselves, and to engage into a discussion with the writers of our day – to meet in close the writers who stand behind the books that we read and will be reading.
The festival also forms an essential point of reference for the literature field professionals and experts. The culmination of the festival is the awarding of the festival prize.
The festival is an ode to literature and writing!
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