Ivars Šteinbergs (Latvia)

is a poet, critic, and translator. Currently considered a leading voice in contemporary Latvian poetry, he is the author of four books of verse, the second of which, Jaunība (Youth, 2022), received the Annual Latvian Literature Award (LaLiGaba); his newest collection, the “linguistically innovative, research-based, and imaginative” Stāsti (Stories), came out in 2025. His poetry is characterized by its versatility, a wide spectrum of emotions, and an interest in corporality – exemplified by his collaboration with the Riga Stradiņš University Anatomy Museum in 2024.

Šteinbergs has been widely published both locally and across borders. He has translated foreign poets into Latvian, including Louise Glück, Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, Sharon Olds, Jan Wagner, Forest Gander, Robert Bly. His own poetry has appeared in English, Ukrainian, Finnish, Estonian, and other languages. He is the editor of the literary magazine Strāva (Current).