Vizma Belševica was born in Riga in 1931 and died in 2005. She was a poet, writer and translator.
Belševica's poetry and fiction has been translated in about 40 languages. Within the Soviet Union of the 1960s-1980s, several books of her selected poetry were published.
After the Latvian independence her poetry has been published in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland, selected short stories in Russia, Georgia and Germany.
Belševica's work has been recognised: on December 6, 1990, she was elected honorary member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences; she has twice received the Spidola Award, which is the highest recognition in Latvian literature. Belševica has also received the highest award of the Latvian State, namely the Three Star Order.