Kristjan Haljak

Kristjan Haljak (1990) is an Estonian poet who has published two collections: Palavik (2014) and Conceptio immaculata (2017). He has also translated one of his literary inspirations, Charles Baudelaire – his notes and fragments entitled Mon cœur mis à nu, published in 1887. French language and literature have had a great influence on Haljak who works as a French teacher; his other favourites include Rimbaud, Verlaine and French surrealist literature. Haljak’s own poetry shows some affinity with beat poetry in addition to surrealism – they are connected by the fluid presentation of inner freedom. Thus, Haljak’s poetry can be described as a free flow of personal connections and images, sometimes showing a radical freedom. Haljak’s performances are also captivating, as he combines the fluid and fragmentary nature of his work – a poem begins and ends abruptly, like a montage of an inner film strip full of intense movement.