From the camps to “Rakstival” or the various signs of the greatness of writing

Writer Inga Žolude, poet Ivars Šteinbergs, poet Ārika Bērziņa and Valters Liberts, head of Walter Dakša’s summer poetry camp, discussed writing as a way of life, commune and therapy in the Latvian radio program “Kultūras Rondo”.

Writing Star Hour

On August 11, the first festival dedicated to writing “Rakstivāls” will be held in the creative quarter “Zeit” in Līgatne, which will be a unique one-day festival that has never been held in the Baltics or northern Europe.

“I’m so glad that the moment of writing stardom has finally arrived.

It seems to me that all these activities – both the book “Writing Laboratory” and many other activities that take place in the field of writing, have led step by step to this great event, to “Rakstivals” , said Žolude.

The purpose of the festival is to bring together different areas of writing and their representatives, creating one writing community, as many different activities take place at the same time, and as a result, different communities are also created.

For example, Walter Daksha’s summer poetry camp has just ended, which gathered like-minded poets in one place.

“This was already the second camp, but the first time it happened, we weren’t sure what was going to happen, and that’s just how everything happened – it was everything so magical. I guess we wanted to meet and have a good time. , and it worked out very well. This year we wanted to see if it was worth doing again, and that was probably the main goal.

The idea of ​​writing is changing

On the other hand, a creative summer writing camp for “Satori” authors is currently taking place in Uguņciem, Talsi county, where the poet Ivars Šteinbergs is one of the leaders of the master classes.

“First of all, writing is one of those things that everyone has in common at the same time, but at the same time, everyone has something of their own.

Also, in this camp, the people who have become more or less ready-made authors. There is no such training here, but it is cooperation. So everyone has their own specific goal that he or she wants to work with and strive for,” said Steinberg.

He pointed out that it is difficult to say whether writing has already become a fashion in recent years, but the “Rakstivals” festival could be one of the signs that writing is becoming more and more popular. – popular.

“If it is not a sign, perhaps on the contrary – an attempt to make it more popular and perhaps more democratic. To reduce the stereotype of writing as an elitist activity or an activity that no one understands. a point where writing is considered elegant at that level of influencers, but it’s definitely changing a little bit – the perception of writing in the wider community,” said Steinberg.

Writing as therapy

At “Rakstival”, Steinberg will give a reading in the thematic section, which will talk about the healing aspect of writing, or writing as therapy.

“I couldn’t figure out what I was supposed to say, and I decided to talk about the relationship between truth and lies in poetry, because I think that the desire to say something can be true when I write poetry to be connected to that therapy. Writing on the other hand, the concept of lies, it seems to me, is always interesting in relation to literature because in the end, literature is interesting precisely because it can create real experiences in us at the same time, but from a purely literal level speaking complete lies, fantasy thoughts and, to put it bluntly, lies,” said Steinberg.

A section has been created on the festival website where an author is invited to share the answer to the question – why do you write? Zholude found that

when people share their reasons, they include them in narratives, and often speak directly to the therapeutic side of writing.

“There are reasons that are repeated, of course, and I think that self-knowledge and getting to know yourself, and putting your feelings and emotions on paper has become one of the leaders . It helps people a lot. They see the meaning of writing in it,” said Žolude. .

Write alone or with others?

Talking about writing as a solitary activity, Libert emphasized that this is a myth, and it doesn’t have to be – for him, for example, writing is a good way to spend time with like-minded people. Poems often come to him while walking around town with friends or spending time together.

“For a writer, especially a poet, I think it’s a benefit or a burden that he works all the time, and not just when that paper is there or that writing isn’t . laptop computers, but that’s the experience you get. That is why it is very important to meet friends and associates. After all, there is a reason why these great associations or creative movements bring people together. This has been true in history, and it is happening now,” said Liberts.

“Rakstival” is also planned for co-writing – a writing circle with the poetess Inga Pizāni.

“I think there’s something magical about the energy of everyone coming together and everyone writing. You see other people writing, and you can’t help but write because writing is everyone. It pulls you forward and gives you that kick back, but, of course, it seems to me that writing is really good on its own,” said Žolude.

At the same time, Bērziņa revealed that writing has been her daily routine for several years, working as a journalist and editor. This is her bread and butter, and writing poems is her bread. The work of a journalist also often intrigues her – the chance to interview really interesting people and then write their stories, but

Beržina’s poetry comes suddenly and directly as an attack.

“There are different interesting nuances, how people see themselves from the outside, how they want to rewrite what has been written about them, even though they have said that. Yes, it is those bread crumbs. That honey bread… Well, those poems are very interesting, I’ve found that I only write them down, because the poems appear in my head. , and it’s such a short time, such an explosion of creativity, and then I have to write them down,” said Bērziņa.