Littera Baltica, the Poets at the BalticSlam

Heli Slunga (1982)

Writer and columnist from Tervola, Finland. Second prize in the J.H. Erkko poetry contest in 2007. Her first poetry collection, Jumala ei soita enää tänne, was published in 2008, and the second, Varjomadonna, in 2009. She writes about sexuality and power in relationships with asperity, boldness and straightforwardness.

Tapani Kinnunen (1962)

Tapani Kinnunen is a Finnish writer living in Turku who has published altogether seven poetry collections. His latest work combines them and some new ones into a book called Amerikkalainen parranajo (Savukeidas).

Elo Viiding (1974)

Elo Viiding is known as a poet, but has also worked as an actress. Her first book was published under the pseudonym Elo Vee in 1991. She speaks directly to the reader, often on the theme of oppression. She has been translated into several languages. Her collection of poems called Paljastuksia (Nihil Interit) was published in Finland in 2000.

Henry Lehtonen

Henry Lehtonen is a Turku-born poet who writes new and energetic verse that is as well suited between book covers as on an open stage. Henry Lehtonen has written four poetry collections and works in a Turku-based publishing house, Sammakko. His latest book is called Lidl metsän unia.

Asko Künnap (1971)

Poet and design artist. Art director of the Tallinn-based design studio and ad agency Rakett. Also runs the alternative micro publishing house Näo Kirik. His book Ja sisalikud vastasid got the Estonian Cultural Endowment Poetry Award in 2003. His poems can be read in Finnish in the anthology of contemporary Estonian poetry Ajattelen koko ajan rahaa (Johnny Kniga, 2009).

Eeva Park (1950)

Eeva Park is an Estonian poet and prosaist. She began writing mood poems depicting nature. Has said that she mixes feeling and thought in her poetry, while her prose is a mixture of understanding and memory. Her most important work is the novel called Lõks lõpmatuses (2003). Eeva Park's collection Pitkällä penkillä was published in 2009 (NyNorden).

Jan Kaus (1971)

Jan Kaus is a poet, prosaist and publisher. He also works as a critic, essayist, visual artist, guitarist and translator. Kaus plays with language, stretching Estonian written slang and Pidgin English to its limits, a jargon popular with the Estonian youth of today. His poetry has has been translated into Finnish, Russian and Swedish. Tähtiä ja neonvaloa was published in 2009 (Miniatuurid).

Solja Krapu (1960)

Solja Krapu was born in Finland but lives in Sweden and writes in Swedish. She became known as a stage-poet in late 90s during Poetry Slam events, and was the Swedish winner in competition with Finnish and Estonian representatives in the Poetry Slam country cup in 2004. Her book Minä tarvitsen bussikuskia was published by Johnny Kniga in 2004.