Latvian Literature in Lithuania: Translation & Cultural Exchange

On February 11, 2026, Laura Laurušaite, a researcher at the Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore and Vilnius University, will deliver a lecture titled “Between Proximity and Difference: Latvian Literature Translations in Lithuania.” The online presentation will be hosted by the Coastal Cities Literary Academy at 6:00 PM.

Laurušaite’s lecture focuses on the complexities of translating Latvian literature for a Lithuanian audience. She is a literary scholar and translator from Latvian to Lithuanian, according to information released by the Liepāja City Council.

The event takes place against a backdrop of ongoing scholarly exchange between Latvia and Lithuania. In March 2025, Riga Technical University’s Liepāja branch, in collaboration with the University of Latvia’s Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art, and the Lithuanian Institute of Literature and Folklore, hosted an international conference titled “Current Issues in Literary and Cultural Research.” The conference featured presentations in Latvian, Lithuanian, and English by researchers from Latvia, Lithuania, and Ukraine. Participants had the opportunity to receive certificates for attending the conference.

The 2025 conference, dedicated to the 400th anniversary of Liepāja, addressed “current problems in literary and cultural research.” Researchers were invited to submit papers in Latvian, Lithuanian, or English by January 29, 2024, through a dedicated website.

The upcoming lecture by Laurušaite builds on this established academic collaboration. Further details regarding the lecture and access to the online event are available through the Liepāja City Council calendar.