Poetry mass

Translator and cultural manager Eha Vain (1954–2021) has left a deep imprint on Estonian cultural life following the restoration of independence, and one of the traditions she started at the Nordic Poetry Festival – poetry mass – is continued by the HeadRead festival. Poetry Mass is a form of poetry reading on a slightly larger scale, which allows us to bring together for a couple of hours the poetic languages and voices that we may not usually meet on a daily basis. This time, the literary congregation includes Lithuanian Eugenijus Ališanka, whose work combines modern Lithuanian life and European cultural history; Latvian Livonian Valts Ernštreits, who creates connections between Estonian and Latvian culture through Livonian culture, and Scot Robin Robertson, who strives to poeticise the restless landscapes and equally restless soul of his homeland. They will be joined by Belgian poet Philip Meersman (1971), who has visited Estonia before and writes in many languages, adding theatrical, visual and other performative elements to literary expression. The poetry mass will naturally include Estonian: Katrin Väli’s walks in a poetic forest, Kalju Kruusa’s travels to China and back, and Aare Pilv’s philosophical musings.