Māris Bērziņš reads an excerpt from the novel about Vilius Lācis / Article / LSM.lv

Māris Bērziņš read excerpts from his forthcoming biographical novel about Vilius Lācis at the festival “Prose Readings”, which takes place remotely until December 5 this year. Initially, the author’s reflections on freedom of speech in his creative work.

In the Latvian Radio program “Kultūras Rondo”, whose program in honor of the 25th anniversary of the festival “Prose Readings” will include readings by various authors throughout the week, Māris Bērziņš told about his thoughts on freedom of speech today and in the past. Freedom of expression and intercultural communication are the main themes of this year’s festival.

“I was just writing about Bear when I thought about how others would think in those days.

There were good writers there too, and somehow they were through – [Regīna] Lake, [Alberts] Bel – but they walked on the knife blade all the time and it seems pretty crazy. I have also been so critical of the government in pieces, not in novels, but in various columns and in Gutenmorgen, against some of our absences, I have no delay in talking about it. But in those days probably, you couldn’t do it all that freely. I have also followed today’s news in Belarus, they immediately make me realize how good we are here, how well we live precisely in terms of freedom of speech, ”said the author.

There is freedom of speech, but there is also the author’s own insight into topics that have a place in his works and those that have no place.

“Everyone already has self-censorship. I will deliberately never write about what a person does in the toilet, never; I don’t think – if its door is closed there, it has to be poured in. I will not write in detail and in detail what two people do in the bedroom, it seems to me that sometimes light hints are enough, which gives an even greater impression than a detailed description of some open physiological activity. There is nothing that cannot be written about, ”noted Māris Bērziņš.

Māris Bērziņš’s upcoming biographical novel about the writer Vili Lācis is part of the prose and literary science project “I am …” started in 2019. Before reading the excerpt, the author also admitted that there was room for doubt in the creation of the biographical novel.

“With Lācis, especially at the beginning, I had such great thoughts that came to the surface in a wave for several months,” said Māris Bērziņš.

“By what right will I write about him at all, invent it on his behalf? With what rights? I don’t know him, I don’t know, I can only imagine.

I am, of course, familiar with how this is possible through a variety of materials and stories. From the outside, everyone reassured me that no one could write any biographical novel by then, and then I somehow calmed down. It’s not relevant for me anymore. “

You can get acquainted with the program of the festival “Prose Readings” here.

Listen to the author’s reading in the audio appendix – In the Latvian Radio program “Kultūras Rondo”.

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