The Baltic Assembly Prize in Literature was awarded to Estonian writer and poet Kai Aareleid for her novel “Pacific Ocean”.
Deputy Head of the Estonian delegation to the Baltic Assembly Sven Sester said “Pacific Ocean” is a novel of our region in the direct sense of the word, because its activities take place in Tallinn, Riga and St. Petersburg.
Those people of the Baltics whose memories reach back to the restoration of the independence of the Baltic States can also find many things they remember in the book.
“Besides telling the love stories of three women and the stories of three cities, it is also a story of the secrets of the times and of not daring to speak out, of trying to establish the borders between silence and lies, showing how deep the effects of the lack of freedom of expression and taboos can run. At the same time, the novel is not depressing as Kai Aareleid has brought out the beauty of those grey times,” Sester added, and expressed hope that the book would be translated into Latvian and Lithuanian soon.
The Baltic Assembly prize in the Arts was awarded to Lithuanian painter Šarunas Sauka.
While the prize for science was given to Latvian historians Gustavs Strenga, Andris Levāns, Renāte Berga and Laura Kreigere-Liepina for their monograph on the 16th and 17th century manuscripts of the Jesuit College of Riga.
This award prize ceremony will be held on October 28 in Riga, Latvia.
The Baltic Assembly has been awarding prizes in literature, the arts and science since 1994. The aim of the prizes is to promote the outstanding achievements of the Baltic States.
Read review of “Pacific Ocean” from ELM Spring 2022
