Lot #18: Vintage Latvian Editions: Knut Hamsun's Zem rudens zvaigznēm (1967) & Ceļotāja dziesma '66

Rare, beautifully preserved pair of hardcover novels by the Nobel Prize-winning Norwegian author Knut Hamsun, published in the Latvian language by the prominent emigre publishing house Tilta Apgāds based in Minneapolis. • Book 1: Ceļotāja dziesma (A Wanderer Plays on Muted Strings / The Wanderer's Song). Published in 1966. Translated into Latvian by Fr. and El. Vītoliņi. Bound in a textured red cloth hardcover with decorative gilt accents on the spine. • Book 2: Zem rudens zvaigznēm (Under the Autumn Star). Published in 1967. Translated by Lejas-Krūmiņš. This copy includes its original illustrated dust jacket featuring artwork by N. Puzirevska, which coordinates with internal illustrations. • The Publisher (Tilta Apgāds): Following World War II, a vibrant Latvian diaspora formed in North America. "Tilta Apgāds" (The Bridge Publishing) was one of the premier exile publishing houses, operating out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Because they were printed in limited quantities specifically for the scattered Latvian emigre community outside the Soviet Union, these editions are scarce and highly sought after by collectors of diaspora literature (trimdas literatūra). • The Author (Knut Hamsun): Hamsun was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920. These two novels form his celebrated "Wanderer Trilogy." Collecting his translated works published by Western exile presses provides a fascinating look at how European masterpieces were kept accessible to displaced Baltic communities during the Cold War. • Language & Rarity: Books printed by Western Latvian exile presses were banned or heavily restricted in Soviet-occupied Latvia. Consequently, surviving copies in North America and Europe remain culturally significant artifacts of Baltic preservation. Pickup category timeslot {A}