Nora Ikstena

{{short description|Latvian writer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Nora Ikstena

| image = Nora Ikstena.JPG

| image_size = 200px

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1969|10|15}}

| birth_place = Riga, Latvia

| death_date =

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| nationality = Latvian

| other_names =

| education = University of Latvia

| occupation = Writer

| years_active= 1993–present

| spouse =

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| awards =

}}

Nora Ikstena (born 15 October 1969) is a Latvian writer and cultural manager. She was born in Riga and studied philology and English language and literature at the University of Latvia. After a subsequent period of residence in New York City for further studies, she returned home and worked to establish the Latvian Literature Centre.

Her debut novel Celebration of Life appeared in 1998, and she has written more than twenty books since, several novels, short story collections, biographies and essays. Her recent novel Soviet Milk ({{langx|lv|Mātes piens}}, 2015) was translated into English and published in 2018 by Peirene Press in London.{{cite news |last=Mustillo |first=Michael |title=Latvian writer Nora Ikstena's critically acclaimed novel Soviet Milk opens up new paths |url=https://www.baltictimes.com/latvian_writer_nora_ikstena_s_critically_acclaimed_novel_soviet_milk_opens_up_new_paths/ |date=March 28, 2018 |newspaper= The Baltic Times |access-date=November 19, 2019}} The launch took place on March 7 in the English-language bookstore Robert's Books in Riga.{{Cite web |title=Two Latvian English-language book launches this week |url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/culture/literature/two-latvian-english-language-book-launches-this-week.a270210/ |date=March 5, 2018 |publisher=Public Broadcasting of Latvia |access-date=November 19, 2019}} She also represented Latvia at the London Book Fair in 2018 as a featured author{{Cite web |last=Collier |first=Mike |title=London Book Fair Voices: Nora Ikstena |url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/culture/literature/london-book-fair-voices-nora-ikstena.a274472/ |date=April 11, 2018 |publisher=Public Broadcasting of Latvia |access-date=November 19, 2019}} and was officially invited to be a participant of the Library of Congress National Book Festival of Washington D.C. in 2016. The book Soviet Milk has been licensed for 15 foreign languages, among them translations in Italian and German.

In 2008 she was honoured with the Order of the Three Stars (officer) of the Republic of Latvia.{{Cite web |title=Nora Ikstena (15.10.1969. Rīga) latviešu rakstniece |url=https://enciklopedija.lv/skirklis/34831 |website=Nacionālā enciklopēdija |language=lv |access-date=2020-05-13}} In 2018 she was honoured with another national Excellence in Culture Award for being the internationally best-known Latvian writer of the 21st century.{{Cite web |title=Izcilības balvu kultūrā iegūst Nora Ikstena, Rolands Kalniņš un Nacionālais mākslas muzejs |url=https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/kultura/kulturtelpa/izcilibas-balvu-kultura-iegust-nora-ikstena-rolands-kalnins-un-nacionalais-makslas-muzejs.a301201/ |date=2018-11-28 |language=lv|website=Public Broadcasting of Latvia|access-date=2020-05-13}}