Ventspils House

My residency in Ventspils was a genuinely inspiring and meaningful experience. The team, and Ieva Balode, the House director, created an atmosphere in which I felt not only welcomed, but truly supported as a writer and as a person. Their attentiveness, kindness and readiness to help made it possible to focus fully on my work and new creative connections. The residency also became an important turning point in my writing practice. It encouraged me to explore short fiction more deeply and resulted in several new stories shaped by the city, its atmosphere and conversations with fellow residents. Most importantly, it led to an ongoing collaboration with Latvian writer Ilze Lace, including a mutual translation exchange and future publications in Latvia and Ukraine. I deeply appreciated the thoughtful atittude, openness to dialogue and the care with which the organisers connected residents with the local cultural community. Ventspils is a place I will remember with gratitude and affection.