Translated by Jayde Will
Beasts (translated from the Latvian, Zveri) takes the perspective of the educated and curious city dweller who ventures into the natural world. Krišjānis Zeļģis’ writing focuses on the intriguing unpredictability of wild beasts to explore human nature, relationships, fear, and love. His poetry is dark, sometimes angry, often funny, capturing the entirety of the natural world in honest but delicate detail.
Beasts is part of the 'Parthian Baltic' project. The project was launched at the Parthian poetry festival at the Wheatsheaf and the London Book Fair 2018 (focus region: Baltics).
Krišjānis Zeļģis is one of a new generation of Latvian poets looking out to the wider worlds. He has been a locksmith, baker, librarian, and a brewer. This diversity in experiencing the tangible world has allowed a wide and rich view of life to inform his writing. Even though he is an author of just two collections of poetry, his poems have been published in various magazines, literary periodicals, and web-publications since 2003. His first collection All Those Things/Visas tās lietas was published in 2010, well received, and nominated for several awards.