Inga Gaile is the author of seven poetry collections, five novels and one collection of short stories. She is president of PEN Latvia and organizer of a women stand up group in Riga.

She has poetry collections published in English, Spanish and Polish. Her poetry collection 30 Questions People Don’t Ask was published in the US (Pleiades Press). The same book was published in Spanish in Peru and Spain. Mexican publication will follow in 2023.

She has received the Latvian literature award for her poetry collection Does the Second Group Hear Me?, Anna Dagda and Ojāra Vācieša awards for poetry collection Cry Mustn’t Laugh (raudāt nedrīkst smieties), Ojāra Vācieša and Poetry days award award for poetry collection Maria of Cakes (Kūku Marija), Poetry days award for collection Fog. 

In 2016 her first novel The Glass Shards was published. Her novel The Beautiful Ones (2019k received Latvian literature award as the best novel of the year. In 2020.

Inga's recent novel Cutie Pie is a tragicomedy about divorce, sex and misogyny.

With her unique brand of humor, she explores inner states of being, her own experiences, the everyday lives of women and stigmatized groups of society, while promoting equal rights.

Participants of the Tbilisi 8th International Festival of Literature

Elizabeth’s head

The only separation, in terms of productivity,

is the separation of the head from the body!

A sunbeam falls into the soft greens,

enlightened, like the Kaiser in lace underwear,

no darkness, deportation, filth,

that’s what maids are for, after all.

Only uncomplicated piano music,

performed by the author.

When the beam of light creates life,

it has fulfilled its duty!

The woman’s question for us seems

awkward and incomprehensible,

therefore: dance, girls, dance,

let the sunbeams from your wombs

separate our heads,

so we can serve them

to each other on steel trays

in the name of a brighter future.

Translated to English by Terēze Svilāne