Seamus Heaney's work finds a new voice in Latvian

A recent Latvian translation of selected poems by Seamus Heaney has created a new connection between one of Ireland's most celebrated poets and Latvian readers. The publication follows the translation into Latvian of Heaney's poem ‘Beacons at Bealtaine’ in 2024 and coincides with events marking 30 years since he received the Nobel Prize in Literature.

In 2004, Heaney was commissioned by the Government of Ireland to write a poem for the ‘Day of Welcomes’, a ceremony hosted by Ireland in the Phoenix Park in Dublin on 1 May, to mark the accession of Latvia and nine other countries to the European Union.

The resulting poem, ‘Beacons at Bealtaine’ was a nod to the significance of those countries joining the EU on the same date that Ireland celebrates ‘Bealtaine’, a Gaelic holiday marking the beginning of summer and, in folklore, the arrival of the first magical inhabitants of Ireland, the Tuatha Dé Danaan.

In 2024, to mark the 20th anniversary of that ceremony, the poem was translated and published in the national languages of the ten states that joined the European Union on that day, including Latvian. One year later, after hearing about events to mark 30 years since Heaney received the Nobel Prize in Literature, Latvian journalist and award-winning translator Ieva Lešinska decided to translate some of Heaney’s other works, starting with the poetry collection ‘100 Poems’. The publication represents the first Latvian translation of a collection of Heaney's poetry.

To mark the 30th anniversary of Heaney’s Nobel Prize, the Embassy of Ireland in Latvia has been touring a translation of the travelling exhibition 'Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again' across Latvia, following its launch at the National Library of Latvia.

As the exhibition has travelled to libraries around Latvia, it has provided an opportunity to highlight the newly published Latvian translation of Heaney's work. The latest stop on the tour is Liepāja, Latvia's third-largest city and the European Capital of Culture for 2027. There, the Embassy partnered with the Liepāja Central Scientific Library for an opening event that coincided with Latvia's annual Poetry Days festival. Visitors heard readings from Lešinska's translations, bringing Heaney's poetry to audiences through the Latvian language.

The work of Seamus Heaney now has a new Latvian readership, bringing new opportunities to engage with his work and extending the reach of his poetry through translation and cultural exchange.