 Kristiina Ehin (born 1977), who was born into a family of writers, has made every attempt to escape the fate of a writer. However, she has become one of the most successful poets of the younger generation. Her fourth and most voluminous collection of poems, The Protected Zone, is a true bestseller. Her previous collection of poetry, The City of Swan Bones (2003), sold out three printings.
Ehin does nothing to appeal to her readers. On the contrary, she claims that she writes about the things that only she herself feels attracted to and touched by and declares that she does not strive for popularity.
Kristiina Ehin began publishing her poems while a student in Tartu University together with a dozen other young writers in The Group of Hermits (Erakkond). Now already a graduate student, she focuses in her research on archaic Estonian folk songs and sings in a folk music band. Kristiina lives in Tartu, works as a translator, dance teacher and journalist. Her poetry collections include Kevad Astrahanis (Spring in Astrakhan, 2000), Simunapäev (St. Simon’s Day, 2003), and Luigeluulinn (Swanbonecity, 2004). She has participated in several international poetry and literature festivals from Izhevsk to Iceland. Kristiina’s poems have been translated into English, Russian, Swedish, Slovenian, Icelandic, Finnish, Slovak, Udmurtian, Komi and German.
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2003 © Estonian Literature Information Centre