Mirdza Ķempe was born into a working-class family in Liepāja, Latvia.
Because of lack of money she had to drop out of the university and in 1928 Ķempe started to work as a continuity announcer for Rīgas radiofons.
On 9 February 1989 a monument to Mirdza Ķempe was opened in Liepāja (architect Ligita Ulmane), another in Riga.
Mirdza Ķempe published 15 collections of poetry, including "Rīta vejš" (1946), "Gaisma akmenī", "Ērkšķuroze" (Dog-rose, 1972), "Mīlestības krāšņais", "Dzintara spogulis" (1968), "Mirkļu mužiba" etc.
[4] In 1971 she received Visva-Bharati University honorary doctor diploma for her works on Urdu language.