Collection of contemporary Estonian plays published in Latvia

On May 15th, 2025, Igauņu mūsdienu lugu izlase, the collection of Estonian contemporary plays in Latvian, was presented at the Estonian Embassy in Riga.

The collection, compiled and translated by Daila Ozola, includes Andrus Kivirähk’s comedy Fatherland Swallows, Tiit Aleksejev’s historical drama Livonian Requiem, Piret Jaaks’ documentary play Same Words, Another Tune, Mehis Pihla’s grotesque, ironic and daring tragicomedy Bладь и Mirъ, Heneliis Notton’s youth drama Emesis, Paavo Piik’s absurd and witty Out of your Depth and Siret Campbell’s subtle psychological drama of the future Beatrice.

Heidi Aadma, dramaturg of the Estonian Theatre Agency, writes in the afterword: “The collection contains examples of both literary precision and the playfulness of oral language. The Estonian authors are able to weave the word as a means of creating worlds in all its complexity into their plays, according to their stories and formal aims. Hopefully, these plays, translated into Latvian, will find their way onto Latvian theatre stages and keep us in a common field of thought and development.”

Translator Daila Ozola underlines: “The plays by the seven authors are meant to be read as well as staged. The book is aimed at young people, pupils, students, as well as directors, actors and other theatre professionals.”

The book was produced in cooperation with the Estonian Theatre Agency, with a foreword by Heidi Aadma. The publication was supported by the Cultural Endowments of Estonia and Latvia as well as the Estonian Embassy in Riga. The book was published by Estonian publishing house Mina Ise, designed by Margus Nõmm and printed by Greif Printing House in Tartu. The book is available in Latvia’s best bookstores (for example in Jānis Roze E-veikals), but in Estonia you can ask Contra ([email protected]), who is behind the publishing house Mina Ise.

In the picture: translator Daila Ozola, Head of Estonian Theatre Agency Kirsten Simmo, Estonian playwrights Heneliis Notton, Paavo Piik, Mehis Pihla, Piret Jaaks, dramaturg of Estonian Theatre Agency Heidi Aadma and publisher Contra at the book launch at the Estonian Embassy in Riga. Photo by Estonian Theatre Agency