Literary career
The 'Silva Rerum' novels
In 2008 she debuted with a'Peter's Empress'
In 2019 Baltos Lankos published the first part of the dilogy 'Peter's Empress', a novel about the Lithuanian born wife of Peter I, Martha Helena Skowrońska, the Empress of Russia Catherine I. Set in the last 24 hours of the Empress' life it tells the story of her marriage as well as of the cultural clash between the East and the West in the light of Peter I reforms. It became a number one bestseller even before hitting the bookstore shelves, with the first print-run selling out via pre-order. The novel had 7 editions in the first 6 months becoming a record breaking bestseller in Lithuania. The second and final part of Peter's Empress was published in February 2021, with more than 70,000 copies sold in the first month after the release. Overall, more than 200,000 copies were sold in a country of 2,8 million.'Peter's Empress' international acclaim
'Peter's Empress' was met with rave reviews in all European countries where it was published and became a bestseller with multiple reprints. In France, the novel was described as the one "of powerful charm that can be read not just a historical saga, but also like a journey through the vanished phantom landscapes. A narrative of great suspense, always balancing on the edge of utter ruin" (Le Monde), "an immense epopee following the routes of the empire which aims to expand its borders and traditions ..With a meticulous research of a historian and the quill that is both poetic and raw at the same time, Sabaliauskaitė draws the prodigious fate not just of a woman, but also of the whole nation torn between its attraction to the Western modernity and the weight of its ancestral culture.“ (Le Figaro Magazine), "a novel of an epic scale, rough and poetic at the same time" (Le Figaro Magazine), with critic Gerard Collard proclaiming it to be "not a novel, but a storm" ('C‘est n‘est pas un roman, c‘est un ouragan'), "an event". The Dutch edition was equally successful, with critics comparing Sabaliauskaite's storytelling power with that of Umberto Eco or Hillary Mantel (Knack Focus, Belgium), Marguerite Yourcenar, naming 'Peter's Empress' as the 'dazzling historical novel' among the best books of 2022 (NRC, The Netherlands). In Estonia 'Peter's Empress' (Part 2) became The Book of the Year 2022, receiving also glowing reviews from leading petrologist historians for its historical accuracy, calling it 'the perfect historical novel, a symbiosis of historical accuracy, a psychological and emotionally engaging biography, the true flavour and aroma of literature'.Short stories collection
In 2012 Baltos Lankos published a selection of short stories 'Danielius Dalba & kitos istorijos' (Danielius Dalba & Other Stories) which became a number one bestseller. 8 short stories in voices of different social dialects and characters tell more recent Lithuanian history - from World War II to contemporary times, encapsulating the Polish, Jewish and Soviet Vilnius, life in emigration, the living memories of the historical traumas of the past. In 2015 'Vilnius Wilno Vilna: Three Short Stories', taken from the collection 'Danielius Dalba & kitos istorijos' and translated into English by Romas Kinka, illustrated with photography ofSilva Rerum translations
Reception in Latvia
The Latvian translation of 'Silva Rerum' was published in 2010 to rave reviews, comparing it to the work on the level of Salman Rushdie and Umberto Eco. In 2014 the translations by Dace Meiere of 'Silva Rerum' and ''Silva Rerum II'' (published in Latvia by Zvaigzne ABC) were voted by Latvian readers for inclusion in a list of 100 of Latvia's Most Favourite Books of All Times (the only book by a Lithuanian author in the list). Peter's Empress (Pētera Imperatore, Part I, 2020) has become the first Lithuanian book to reach number one on the bestselling lists.Reception in Poland
In 2015 the Polish translation of 'Silva Rerum' by Izabela Korybut-Daszkiewicz was published in Poland and received exceptional reviews, with Olga Tokarczuk describing it as 'a splendidly written, marquesian novel which takes place in seventeenth century Lithuania and eventually reminds us that the history of Central Europe is our shared narrative' and critics calling it 'a novel which restores faith in literature', 'a true literary sensation from Lithuania (Mariusz Cieślik, '' Wprost''), 'a truly monumental text, literature of the highest standard, a universal novel about humanity' (Tomasz Orwid, Dobre Książki). It was the first Lithuanian novel to receive such visibility and critical acclaim in Poland and to be shortlisted for the prestigious ANGELUS Central European Literary Prize in 2016 among 7 finalists. The second part 'Silva Rerum II' (translated by Izabela Korybut-Daszkiewicz) was published in 2018 to even bigger critical acclaim and with the introduction blurb of Olga Tokarczuk stating that 'Kristina Sabaliauskaitė belongs among the most powerful and expressive voices of the historical novel in Europe'. The critics noted that the sequel is even more impressive than the debut novel, noting that 'here we encounter the literature which transgresses the conventional boundaries and speaks about the essential, fundamental cultural experiences', 'Sabaliauskaite has created a refined historical novel in a form that encapsulates the epoch. But first and foremost it is the exquisitely told, realistic and captivating human stories', emphasizing even greater mastery of the storytelling and the use of language: 'A breathtaking historical novel. ..A spiritual feast for the reader. Nowadays a rare author uses such colourful, artistic and noble language'.Literary Awards
* 2008Other awards
* 2011 Saint Christopher award from Vilnius Municipality for reflections of Vilnius in literature. * 2015 Kristina Sabaliauskaitė named Woman of the Year in Lithuania * 2017 awarded theBibliography
Lithuanian first editions
* Silva Rerum, a novel, Vilnius, Baltos Lankos, 2008. * Silva Rerum II, a novel, Vilnius, Baltos Lankos, 2011. * Danielius Dalba & kitos istorijos, collection of short stories, Vilnius, Baltos Lankos, 2012. * Silva Rerum III, a novel, Vilnius, Baltos Lankos, 2014. * Silva Rerum IV, a novel, Vilnius, Baltos Lankos, 2016. * Petro imperatorė, (Part 1), a novel, Vilnius, Baltos Lankos, 2019. * Petro imperatorė, (Part 2), a novel, Vilnius, Baltos Lankos, 2021.Translations
=French
= *L'Imperatrice de Pierre, I, Paris, Editions La Table Ronde, 2023, translated by Marielle Vitureau *L'Imperatrice de Pierre, II, Paris, Editions La Table Ronde, 2023, translated by Marielle Vitureau in collaboration with the author=Latvian
= * Silva Rerum, Riga, Apgads Zvaigzne ABC, 2010, translated by Dace Meiere * Silva Rerum II, Riga, Apgads Zvaigzne ABC, 2012, translated by Dace Meiere * Silva Rerum III, Riga, Apgads Zvaigzne ABC, 2015, translated by Dace Meiere * Silva Rerum IV, Riga, Apgads Zvaigzne ABC, 2018, translated by Dace Meiere * Pētera imperatore (I), Riga, Apgads Zvaigzne ABC, 2020, translated by Dace Meiere * Pētera imperatore (II), Riga, Apgads Zvaigzne ABC, 2022, translated by Dace Meiere=Polish
= * Silva Rerum, Kraków, Znak, 2015, translated Krakówby Izabela Korybut-Daszkiewicz * Silva Rerum, Kraków, Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2019, translated by Izabela Korybut-Daszkiewicz * Silva Rerum II, Kraków, Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2018, translated by Izabela Korybut-Daszkiewicz * Silva Rerum III, Kraków, Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2021, translated by Kamil Pecela * Silva Rerum IV, Kraków, Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2021, translated by Kamil Pecela=English
= * Vilnius. Wilno. Vilna. Three Short Stories, Vilnius, Baltos Lankos, 2015, translated by Romas Kinka=Estonian
= * Peetri keisrinna (I), Tallinn, Varrak, 2021, translated by Tiina Katel * Peetri keisrinna (II), Tallinn, Varrak, 2021, translated by Tiina Katel=Dutch
= * Peters keizerin, Amsterdam, Prometheus, 2021, translated by Anita van der Molen * Peters keizerin II, Amsterdam, Prometheus, 2023, translated by Anita van der Molen=Slovenian
= * Petrova imperatorica, I, Založba Goga, 2021, translated by Klemen Pisk * Petrova imperatorica, II, Zalożba Goga, 2023, translated by Klemen PiskMusical collaboration
In 2022–2023 Kristina Sabaliauskaitė collaborated with internationally acclaimed Lithuanian composer and conductorReferences