LUĪZE PASTORE /1986/

A writer of children's and YA fiction

Agnese Zeltiņa Photography

Luīze Pastore is a leading voice in Latvian children’s literature, celebrated for her imaginative, award-winning stories that blend adventure, art, and cultural heritage. Her work fosters creativity, empathy, and critical thinking in young readers. With translations in multiple languages and over a decade of literary workshops, she inspires a lasting love of reading and storytelling across generations and borders.

She is the winner of all biggest Latvian awards (Latvian Annual Literary Award, International Baltic Sea Jānis Baltvilks Awards, etc) and her books have also gained international recognitions (Bologna Ragazzi Award, New Horizons). She is nominated for Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026. 

Her works have inspired animated movies "Jacob, Mimmi and the Talking dogs", 2018, Atom Art; "The Lucky ones", 2025, Atom Art. For more than 10 years she has been conducting literary workshops for children in Latvian libraries and schools and abroad.

Luīze lives in Riga with her two children and a dog.


Foreign rights sold to:

United Kingdom, Estonia, France, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Lithuania etc.

Awards and recognitions:

2026, nominee for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.

2025, "Jēkabs e i cani di Riga" nominated for Premio Strega award.

2024, Šis ir mans seriāls - shortlisted for Annual Latvian Literature Award; International Jānis Baltvilks award (debut work - design and illustrations)

2022, Laime children - Bologna Ragazzi Award 2022, "New Horizons"

2022, Laime children, International Baltic Sea Region Jānis Baltvilks Award in Children's Literature

2022, Laime children -  selected for "The White Ravens" 2022 list

2018, Dog Town - #BEST NEW KIDS BOOKS 2018, "The Guardian" pick

2017, Pastariņš prize for the Art Detectives series

2016, "The Invisible Man" (from The Art Detectives series) selected for "The White Ravens" 2016 list

2016, Annual Latvian Literature Award as the Best Children's Book for the Art Detectives series

2016, Latvian Children's Jury Chocolate Award for the Art Detectives series

2015, International Baltic Sea Region Jānis Baltvilks Award in Children's Literature for the Art Detectives series 2013, Latvian Literature Award as the Best Children's Book for The Story of Maskachka District