Regīna Ezera, the pen name of Regīna Šamreto (20 December 1930 – 11 June 2002), was a successful Latvian author of Polish origin who wrote more than 20 novels. A recipient of the

Order of the Three Stars Order of the Three Stars ( lv, Triju Zvaigžņu ordenis) is the highest civilian order awarded for meritorious service to Latvia. It was established in 1924 in remembrance of the founding of Latvia. Its motto is "Per aspera ad astra", meaning "Thr ...

, she suffered financially as a result of the end of communism, living in some poverty at the end of her life.

Biography

Born in

Riga Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...

, Ezera was the daughter of a carpenter and a nurse. She was brought up in a small residence where her grandmother and aunt also lived. Her Catholic family spoke Polish and she did not learn Latvian until she was six and at school. In 1944, the family was deported to Germany but returned to Latvia in 1945. After

matriculating Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term "matriculation" is seldom used now. ...

from high school, Ezera studied journalism at the

Latvian State University University of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Universitāte, shortened ''LU'') is a state-run university located in Riga, Latvia established in 1919. The ''QS World University Rankings'' places the university between 801st and 1000th globally, sevent ...

in Riga, graduating in 1955. The same year, her short story ''Pat īkšķis nelīdzēja'' (Even My Thumb Did Not Help) was published in the children's journal ''Bērnība'' under her

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

Ezera. "Ezera" means "lake" and it was chosen to reflect her childhood which had at times been carefree. During the 1950s she married twice. None of the relationships were successful and she became Regina Kindzule, a single parent of three daughters. She worked for a time as a journalist for the newspaper ''Pionieris'' and for ''Bērnība'', the children's journal. In 1961, she published her first book of short stories, ''Un ceļš vēl kūp'', about her wartime experiences. The same year she completed her first of many novels ''Zem pavasara debesīm'' (Under the Spring Sky). She continued to write novels, short stories and essays for the rest of her life. In the 1970s, she had been a member of the Riga Communist Party Committee and in the 1980s she continued to represent her country in the Union of Soviet Writers. In 1988, she joined the emerging movement to establish a Latvian state and this was achieved in 1990. Although she was awarded the

in 1995, she suffered financially as a result of the end of communism. She had enjoyed state support for her work but under the new regime this was not available and she lived in some poverty at the end of her life. Since 1978, Ezera lived in her country house in

Ķegums Ķegums (; german: Keggum)) is a town in Ogre Municipality situated mostly on the right bank of the Daugava River. Latvian law defines Ķegums town as divided between two regions, Vidzeme on the right bank of the Daugava and Semigallia on the left ...

, Latvia. She died there on 11 June 2002. A partial third part of what was intended to be a four-part work called "Being" was published as well as ''Odes to Sadness'' in the year after her death.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ezera, Regina 1930 births 2002 deaths Writers from Riga Latvian women writers Latvian women novelists 20th-century novelists 20th-century Latvian women writers 20th-century Latvian writers University of Latvia alumni People's Writers of the Latvian SSR Recipients of the Order of Friendship of Peoples Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour 20th-century pseudonymous writers Pseudonymous women writers