LATVIANS DOWN AND OUT IN ENGLAND AND IRELAND: CONTEMPORARY MIGRATION TALES
LATVIANS DOWN AND OUT IN ENGLAND AND IRELAND: CONTEMPORARY MIGRATION TALES

Summary/Abstract: The involvement of Latvia in the recent European integration, which started once the Iron Curtain was lifted and the independence of the state was restored (1990–1991), led to Latvia’s accession to the EU and NATO (2004) and produced a new type of Latvian diaspora. The dynamic processes of its formation and development are reflected in Latvian literature, albeit sparingly. Migration narratives, in which various cultures and experiences interact, have brought about a new type of text – intercultural literature. Two novels are particularly salient and have been translated into several languages: The mushroom testament: the Black Balts among Celts (2002), the debut novel by Laima Muktupāvela and Stroika with a London view (2010), the phenomenally successful debut novel by Vilis Lācītis. Both novels focus on economic migrants to the UK and Ireland. They share a similar environment and are humorous and satirical but also have divergent traits, e.g. the gender of the narrators and their attitudes toward acculturation and integration. This study attempts to provide a general outlook on how the new type of diaspora is reflected in literature.

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