Flowers: Fairy-Tales by Anna Sakse published in Chinese

On 19 June, the Ambassador of Latvia to China, Kārlis Eihenbaums, took part in the 31st Beijing International Book Fair and addressed guests at the launch event of the Chinese edition of Flowers: Fairy-Tales by Anna Sakse.

At the request of the organisers, Ambassador Eihenbaums delivered his remarks in Latvian, with Chinese interpretation (thanks to Anželika Smirnova). He warmly congratulated all those involved on this significant occasion – the publication in Chinese of a classic work of Latvian literature, a collection of literary fairy tales about flowers.

Ambassador Eihenbaums emphasised the enduring importance of universal human values in a world overshadowed by war and conflict:

“These tales have no age limit – they spark curiosity and, more importantly, provoke thought among readers of all ages. Everyone will find something personal in them; they are reflections on ourselves, on humanity.”

The Ambassador expressed his gratitude to the publishers, Dolphin Books Co. (a subsidiary of the China International Publishing Group), the translators, illustrator Jekaterina Bai, and the Ministry of Culture of Latvia – to everyone who supported and brought this wonderful project to life.

Encouraging the publishers not to stop here, Ambassador Eihenbaums noted that Latvia has many more fairy tales to offer, including the well-known works of Kārlis Skalbe and The Colourful Tales of Imants Ziedonis. To support his suggestion, he presented the publishers with a newly released Latvian–Chinese contemporary poetry anthology, The Periphery Is Not the End, published in parallel in both languages.