Description
Across nine deeply atmospheric and compelling fairytales, Lilija Berzinska follows the desires and anxieties of a community of mysterious creatures in the north of Latvia, gently exploring their preoccupations and suggesting solutions with resonant empathy and wisdom.
Translated by Žanete Vēvere Pasqualini and Sara Smith & edited by Kate Wakeling
Illustrated by the author
Praise for The Skeleton in the Cupboard
“The clever sequence of stories will make children empathise, consider the worries of others, and think about their own experiences. The writing sparkles […] ideal for reading in KS2 book clubs and creative writing sessions.” ~ Tom Tolkien, School Reading List
A Skeleton in the Cupboard won the prestigious Latvian Literary Award of the Year (Children’s Category) in 2019, with judges noting: “Lilija Berzinska’s tales ooze warmth and sweetness.”
“An utterly charming collection and a great example of why translated literature for children is important, presenting as it does, stories with culturally infused favours, as well as showing us the things we share with our fellow humans across the world.” ~ Nikki Gamble, founder of Just Imagine, for Book Breeze Spooky Round Up
“[…] imbued with a gentle nostalgia as the community of strange creatures navigate their emotions, fears and dreams.” ~ Outside in World‘s October ‘Book of the Month’
“A charming collection of stories […] fables in the manner of Aesop that examine human foibles, aspirations and passions with sympathy and irony.” ~ Books for Keeps
“Each tale invites the reader to linger—not just on the events, but on the inner lives of these characters, on the quiet tension between who they are and who they believe they should be” ~ Cassandra Fong, Redbrick
Lilija Berzinska was born in 1978. She is a children’s author and illustrator, and also works as a translator. Several of her children’s novels were nominated for the Latvian Literature of the Year Award, and her collection of stories Skelets skapī / The Skeleton in the Cupboard won the children’s category of Latvian Literature of the Year Award in 2019. She and her family live by the sea and near the forest, where different creatures, both wild and imaginary dwell.
Žanete Vēvere Pasqualini is a translator and literary agent. She graduated from the Faculty of Foreign Languages, University of Latvia, in 1995, at the same time completing a course in Italian language at the University of Perugia. She was the first Latvian Consul in Rome after Latvia regained independence, and now divides her time between Latvia and Italy. She currently she works as a literary agent for Latvia, promoting Latvian literature abroad and dedicating some of her time to literary translation. Her translations into English include the novel The Green Crow by Kristīne Ulberga (Peter Owen Press); the short stories ‘The Birds of Ķīpsala island’ by Dace Rukšāne and ‘The Shakes’ by Svens Kuzmins (anthologised in “The Book of Riga”, Comma Press); the children’s poetry collection The Noisy Classroom by Ieva Flamingo (Emma Press); the children’s books Dog Town by Luīze Pastore (Firefly) and “Minimisms” by Imants Ziedonis (Viegli), and a play, ‘History Research Commission’, by Alvis Hermanis and company (Jaunais Rīgas Teātris).
Sara Smith is a teacher and translator, based in Rome. She studied Italian and Business at Edinburgh University, where she was awarded a Swiss Arts Council prize for translation. She has worked for a decade with Latvian Literature, the national body promoting the country’s literature abroad, as editor of translated works of literary fiction for adults and books for children. Her work has been published by Guerra Editori, Artes Faveo and The Emma Press.
Kate Wakeling is a poet and musicologist. Her debut poetry collection for children, Moon Juice, won the CLiPPA in 2017 and was nominated for the Carnegie Medal. Her second collection, Cloud Soup, was shortlisted for the CLiPPA in 2022 and named a book of the month in the Guardian and the Scotsman. A pamphlet of Kate’s poetry for adults, The Rainbow Faults, is published by The Rialto. Kate studied music at Cambridge University and holds a PhD in Balinese gamelan music from SOAS.
