Elisabeth Heinsalu (Estonia)

Elisabeth Heinsalu (born 2003) is studying French language and literature at the University of Tartu. Her work has been published in Looming, Värske Rõhk, and in Estonian diaspora publications such as Kontakt and Elo. In 2023, Heinsalu’s debut poetry collection “Kui ma olin udu” (When I Was Mist) was published by Tuum Publishers. The book explores themes such as diaspora, justice, temptations, the individual in the city, and the darkness of the soul. The poetry collection is a laureate of the Little Hippy Fund manuscript competition and a nominee for the Betti Alver Literary Prize. Her poetry has been translated into Finnish and French.

Elisabeth enjoys travelling to the outskirts of the world and in her thoughts, discovering new cultures and languages, and watching indie films. She often yearns to return to the creatively inspiring island of São Miguel in the Azores. You can often find her running, playing tennis on the tennis court, or even horseback riding.