On Wednesday 29 May, the HeadRead literary festival kicks off, treating the audiences in Tallinn to more than 30 international guests and notable Estonian authors.
The festival running from 29 May to 2 June is offering literature enthusiasts in Tallinn a varied programme of meetings, conversations, music, theatre and literary walks. The opening evening of the festival gives the floor to young people, but the main venue at the Estonian Writers’ Union will also host paris of authors, such as Urmas Vadi and Sven Mikser, Sveta Grigorjeva and Piret Jaaks, and Tiit Aleksejev and Meelis Friedenthal. Vladimir Loginov’s experimental film on Sveta Grigorjeva’s poetry will have its premiere at the Sõprus Cinema, audiences can enjoy a special programme on Elin Toona and the heritage of Ruhnu Island at the Estonian Writers’ Union, the National Library will host a panel discussion on the impact of literature and this year’s poetry mass is held at the Church of the Holy Spirit. Foreign authors this year include Lucy Worsley, the joint chief curator at Historic Royal Palaces, Sami author Tina Harnesk and Nathalie Papin, the star of contemporary French youth drama. We can also look forward to the first performance of the Latvian group of female stand-up comics (Sieviešu stendaps). The Estonian Children’s Literature Centre continues as the hub for an excellent programme for little readers, featuring meetings with Marc Boutavant, illustrator of the Dumpster Dog series, and Finnish artist and children’s author Katri Kirkkopelto.
Literary walks in Estonian and Russian will be conducted by Josef Kats, Elle-Mari Talivee and Sirli Staub. The boundaries of literature will also be expanded by events like Crazed Tallinn at the Estonian Writers’ Union and an India-themed evening at Ait. We are also happy to feature a special cooperation with the events series Sound Language, offering a mixture of discussions and music titled ‘Combing the Basilisk’.
The full programme is available on the festival’s website, and it is also worth keeping an eye on our Facebook and Instagram.
See you at the festival!
