Literary festival HeadRead kicks off in Tallinn
The Tallinn International Literary Festival HeadRead brings talks, author meet-and-greets, and musical performances to the Writers' House from May 27 to 31. Festival events will also take place at Ait café, Niguliste Church, the Children's Literature Center, the Ukrainian Cultural Center, and various locations across the city.
Among the international guests meeting Estonian readers this year are acclaimed authors Thomas Piketty, Gaea Schoeters, Paco Calvo, and Simon Mason.
Conversations featuring Estonian writers will pair, for example, Anu Allas with Brigitta Davidjants, Aliis Allmann with Berit Kaschan, Margus Ott with Eik Hermann, and Triin Soomets with Eeva Park.
The festival's musical program includes performances by Sveta Grigorjeva and Laura Põldvere, Modulshtein, Elo Viiding and Mait Rebane, and Finnish rapper Rauhatäti, who will appear in the festival's now-traditional avant-garde stage production "Crazy Tallinn."
At the Children's Literature Center, readers can meet, among others, Ali Standish, Bobbie Peers, Ulla Saar, and Hugo Vaher. At Ait café, audiences can hear young talent, listen to "Nice-poetry", and explore works submitted for this year's Prix Goncourt. Contemporary Ukrainian poetry will be presented at the Ukrainian Cultural Center, where guided tours will also take place.
Poet and prose writer Tiina Saar-Veelmaa noted that while an outside observer might see a literary festival as a modest event, in reality it is more like a major rock concert. She compared it to PÖFF, Tallinn Music Week, and Jazzkaar, which attract world-renowned names every year.
"We've previously hosted Tom Stoppard, Margaret Atwood, David Mitchell, and last year Édouard Louis — I listened to his interview with my mouth open, and afterward read most of his work," she said. "This event can easily spark FOMO — the fear of missing out — because so much is happening."
To choose the highlights that suit them best, Saar‑Veelmaa advises visitors to take a careful look at the festival program.
In addition to Josef Kats, this year's city walks will be led by Saar‑Veelmaa, Jan Kaus, and P. I. Filimonov, whose routes follow places in Tallinn connected to their childhoods or youth.
The Poetry Mass held at the Niguliste Museum-Concert Hall serves as a kind of artistic credo for the festival. This year, readings will be given by Kaarel B. Väljamäe (Bööma), Jim Ashilevi, Veronika Kivisilla, Leelo Tungal, and Liudmyla Taran.
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Editor: Kaspar Viilup, Karmen Rebane, Argo Ideon
