Belševica"s father Jānis Belševics was a worker, and her mother Ieva Belševica (maiden name Cīrule) was a housewife. Vizma Belševica was born on May 30, 1931, in prewar Riga, then the capital of democratic Latvia, where she spent most of her childhood.
Maxim Gorky Literature Institute.
The family was relatively poor, as only one of the two spouses did paid work. Vizma"s father had drinking problems, which aggravated when during the Great Depression he lost his job as a baker.
She was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Receiving the Nobel prize was her childhood dream. She, as a poor but bright girl, spent much of her time reading classical literature. Belševica"s work has been recognised: on December 6, 1990, she was elected honorary member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. She has twice received the Spidola Award, which is the highest recognition in Latvian literature. Belševica has also received the highest award of the Latvian State, namely the Three Star Order.
