Two related language-themed events will take place on 10 April in Rēzekne and on 11 April in Daugavpils. Both events are interconnected and will explore language and include the presentation of the Latgalian-language translation of a work by Norwegian author and Nobel Prize laureate Jon Fosse – “Kaids nūteikti atīs” (“Someone Will Surely Come”).
PROGRAMME
10 April at the Rēzekne Academy of the Riga Technical University
• Jon Fosse – Nobel Prize laureate and his literary legacy.
• The Nynorsk language in which Fosse writes, and the Latgalian language – parallels and differences.
• Minority languages on stage: Nynorsk and Latgalian in theatre.
• Presentation of Jon Fosse’s book "Kaids nūteikti atīs”.
• Launch of the digital exhibition Linguapolis.
Speakers
• Linguist Snorre Karkkonen-Svensson
• Translator Jūlija Tumanovska
• Literary scholar Ilga Šuplinska
• Writer and theatre researcher Laura Melne
11 April at the Daugavpils Central Library – presentation of Jon Fosse’s book “Kaids nūteikti atīs”.
Speakers
• Linguist Snorre Karkkonen-Svensson
• Theatre researcher Kitija Balcere
• Linguist Sanita Martena
• Translator Jūlija Tumanovska
Both events organised by “Language House” (“Valodu māja”) were supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Latvia.
The book “Kaids nūteikti atīs” was translated by Jūlija Tumanovska for the Daugavpils Theatre in preparation for the premiere of the play “Someone Will Surely Come” as part of the Nordic Days 2024 programme, which took place on 16 October. This annual event, organised by the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Latvia and the Nordic Embassies, is hosted each year in a different city in Latvia.
Oļegs Šapošņikovs, Director of the Daugavpils Theatre, reflecting on the production, emphasised Fosse’s unique language and rhythm, likening it to a kind of spell that draws the audience into a world of deep emotion. While the play centres on a man and a woman, it invites the audience to consider deeper meanings of the unsaid, the whispered and the screamed silences in human interaction, fear of the unknown and inevitable change.
The Latgalian-language production “Kaids nūteikti atīs” was recently awarded the Latgalian Cultural Award “Boņuks” as one of the most remarkable cultural events of the year.
