Postcard from Riga

Paldies Riga

Before I set off to go to Riga, I was asked to list three things I connected with Latvia. My answer? The Baltic Sea, forests and Black Balsam. To my great shame, I knew little beyond superficial, stereotypical knowledge. A few days before leaving, I stumbled from one website to another trying to absorb as much information as possible, scrolling through photos, swiping fingers along maps, practicing greetings on my Latvian learning app.

But as I stood outside the hotel on a Sunday morning waiting for a lift back to the airport, I realised that nothing could have prepared me to be part of Page Break, the international poetry festival organised by Madara Gruntmane, Efe Duyan and Kaspars Bērziņš. I never imagined that I would be able to take to this clean, kind, gentle, unasssuming city within just six days. Three weeks later, I can still see the old town and its rounded stone streets as I close my eyes, still feel the unexpected passion of 16-year-old students for Welsh poetry and poems, still hear voices and accents from all over the world getting closer in the small hours.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that I gasped out loud at seeing who the poets were who would be part of the festival. Yes, a few names were new to me, and a few others were poets I've admired for many years and read their poems over and over again. Meeting everyone and getting to know them, getting to hear their poems and stories, being able to share a stage with them, having chats and discussions was a thrill I will never forget.

'My mind has been opened, stretched so wide. Like I've just opened a map and spread it across the table and I see uncharted territory in front of me – places waiting for me to find them, lanes that call my name, paths that give me itchy feet, names that dance on my lips, people smiling at me kindly.'

Those were some rough sentences in my phone notes at 4.37am on the last Saturday in Riga. Yes, I saw the Baltic Sea and felt its chill on my cheeks, I gazed at the endless forests from the airplane window and a small bottle of Black Balsam came back in the bag with me. But Riga means a great deal more than that to me now. Madara, Efe and Kaspars have undoubtedly created something very special and I am extremely grateful to the three, to the poets, to Riga and its people and to Literature Across Frontiers for the opportunity. Paldies.