Velta Toma (31 January 1912 – 26 April 1999) was a Latvian poet and an honorary member of the

Latvian Academy of Sciences The Latvian Academy of Sciences ( lv, Latvijas Zinātņu akadēmija) is the official Academy of Sciences, science academy of Latvia and is an association of the country's foremost scientists. The academy was founded as the ''Latvian SSR Academy o ...

. She also used the pen name Velta Pavasara (literally Velta Spring).

Biography

Born in

Nereta Nereta ( lt, Neretos; german: Nerft) is a village in Aizkraukle Municipality in the Selonia region of Latvia. Neretaat GeoNames updated 27/07/2014 The village is located 4 km from the border with Lithuania, on the Dienvidsusēja rive ...

in the south of Latvia, Toma attended the local primary school and the secondary school in

Jēkabpils Jēkabpils (; german: Jakobstadt; pl, Jakubów) is a state city in Jēkabpils Municipality in southeastern Latvia roughly halfway between Riga and Daugavpils and spanning the Daugava River. Historic Jēkabpils lies on the left bank, in Selonia ...

before studying at the Zeltmata School of Latvian Drama. She started writing poetry while still at secondary school. Her first published poem ''Jūlija vakaros'' (July Evening) appeared in the newspaper ''Jaunākās ziņas'' in 1936 but her first collection ''Minējums'' (Guess) was not published until 1943. It covers the same themes as her later work: life and death, family roots, longing for love and a sense of local belonging. Toma's work is indeed closely associated with patriotism and later the sadness of exile. Another constant concern in Toma's poetry is the place of women, characterized by deep sensitivity but also with a woman's sense of mission. In 1944, Toma emigrated first to Germany and then to Canada where she would spend the next 50 years. She continued writing and publishing poetry in Canada with ''Latvieša sieva'' (Latvian Wife, 1946), followed by several other collections until her last work ''Aizejot, atnākot'' (Leaving, Returning) which she wrote shortly before her death. She died in Toronto on 26 April 1999 but was buried in her home town of Neretā, Latvia. While in Canada, she did much to help Latvian exiles and to promote Latvian culture. In 1995, she was honoured with 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 ...

Works

* ''Minējums'' (1943) * ''Latvieša sieva'' (1946) * ''Sēļuzemes sestdiena'' (1953) * ''Vēl'' (1959) * ''Mūžīgā spēle'' (1960) * ''Aldaune'' (1960) * ''Dziļumā jāpārtop'' (1963) * ''Sērdienes spēks'' (1969) * ''Pēc uguns'' (1975) * ''Maize no mājām'' (1980)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Toma, Velta 1912 births 1999 deaths People from Aizkraukle Municipality People from Courland Governorate Latvian women poets Latvian-language writers 20th-century Latvian poets 20th-century women writers Latvian World War II refugees Latvian emigrants to Canada