Conversations between pairs of writers at the Estonian Writers’ Union remain at the heart of the festival, alongside special programmes at other venues, including the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre, the Ait café, and the Niguliste Museum.
The programme at the Estonian Writers’ Union begins on Wednesday 27 May with a stage production by the Poetry Fellowship studio supervised by Jelena Skulskaja and graduating students from the theatre school of the Old Town Educational College. On Thursday 28 May, Kaur Riismaa and Mario Pulver, as well as Piret Raud and Eva Koff, will meet in conversation in the Estonian Writers’ Union, while the day concludes with Jaan Malin’s stage programme Crazed Tallinn. On Friday 29 May, poets Aliis Aalmann and Berit Kaschan will appear in conversation in the same venue. On Saturday 30 May, the programme begins with Anu Allas and Brigitta Davidjants; later that day Arne Merilai and Piret Jaaks will also take the stage, alongside the theatrical programme Timeless Texts in Temporal Theatre performed by actors Kaie Mihkelson, Teele Pärn and Ringo Ramul. On Sunday 31 May, philosophers and translators Margus Ott and Eik Hermann will appear on the Estonian Writers’ Union stage, followed by poets Triin Soomets and Eeva Park, whose work addresses violence against women.
The Ait café, which has become one of HeadRead’s traditional venues, will once again host poetry and music. On Friday 29 May, the Ait will showcase women’s poetry in the Nice Poetry programme, a play on the phonetic similarity of the English word nice and the Estonian prefix nais- (female). It features Eeva Park, Murca, Kauksi Ülle and Riste Sofie Käär. Prose writer, poet and literary scholar Piret Põldver will perform together with jazz guitarist Kalev Karlson in a programme they describe as “text music”.
On Saturday 30 May, the musically eclectic Modulshtein will perform at Ait, alongside young poets whose debut works have already attracted attention for their strength and originality. The evening concludes with the spoken-word and sound collage I Was Alone That Evening by Elo Viiding and Mait Rebane.
That same evening at the Writers’ Union, Sveta Grigorjeva and Laura Põldvere will present the improvisational special programme titled Bimbos Against Bombs, dismantling both roles and expectations.
One of the jewels of the festival, the Poetry Mass, will take place at the Niguliste Museum at midday on Sunday 31 May. Performers include Kaarel B. Väljamäe, Jim Ashilevi, Veronika Kivisilla, Leelo Tungal and Ljudmõla Taran from Ukraine. Musical accompaniment for the poetry will be provided by Krista Citra Joonas.
Throughout the festival, the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre will host appearances by Ulla Saar, Anti Saar, Johanna Unt, Hugo Vaher and Tiina Laanem.
This year, literary walks through Tallinn’s Old Town will be led not only by Josef Kats but also by Jan Kaus. In addition, Tiina Saar-Veelmaa will guide walkers through the Uus Maailm district, while a route led by P. I. Filimonov will begin and end in Väike-Õismäe. Registration for the walks will open shortly.
As an experiment, this year’s HeadRead literary festival will extend across an entire week. A special pre-programme dedicated to the relationship between literature and cinema will begin on Monday 25 May at the Sõprus Cinema, with introductions to screenings by Tristan Priimägi, Brigitta Davidjants and Peeter Laurits.
The HeadRead literary festival will take place in Tallinn from 27 to 31 May.
The full programme is available on our website headread.ee