Background
Jānis Poruks was born in Druviena parish, Livonian Governorate in peasant family.
Jānis Poruks was born in Druviena parish, Livonian Governorate in peasant family.
Later he studied also in Liezēre parish school and Cēsis city school.
He started his education in local Druviena parish school. In 1893 Poruks went to Germany and started studies in Dresden Conservatory. While in Dresden he published his first book, collection of essays in german language Religion der Zukunft.
Poruks returned to Latvia in 1894 when he ran out of money.
In Latvia he started chemistry studies in Riga Polytechnical Institute but later he shifted to commerce. He also started to work in newspaper Mājas Viesis.
During this period he wrote most of his most famous works and often signed them with pseudonyms Nemo"or Parsifal. After 1905 Poruks mental health started to decline and he was treated in mental hospitals in Rīga, Strenči and Tartu.
From 1909 until 1910 Poruks lived in writers home Burtnieku nams in Riga.
Jānis Poruks died on 25 July 1911 in mental hospital in Tartu. He was buried in Cēsis cemetery but in 1924 his remains were reburied in Forest cemetery in Riga.
In his prose works he used elements of romanticism, realism and symbolism, sometimes even all in one work.