Jana Lepik

Jana Lepik (born 28 November 1981) is a poet.

Lepik was born in Tartu. She studied at the art class of Tallinn Old Town Educational College and Estonian language and literature at Tallinn Pedagogical University for four years.

Jana Lepik’s poems were published in the compendium of the literary grouping Tallinna Noored Tegijad (Young Doers of Tallinn) Mõned ei tahtnudki (‘Some Didn’t Even Want to’) in 2000. Her first poetry collection Silmus ja sõlm (‘Loop and Knot’) appeared as an audio file on the Internet and could for some time be downloaded from the homepage of the Bahama Press publisher. Along with Priit Kruus, Hedda Maurer and Neeme Põder, Lepik belonged to the literary grouping !Peatus founded in 2002. In 2004, the Tuum publishing company issued Lepik’s debut book, the poetry collection Lahtine taevas (‘The Open Sky’) which expresses the severe grief she experienced.

In the following years, Lepik published nine books of poetry. Initially, the critics called the author a figurative female urbanist and mourner who might be compared to Ilmi Kolla and Betti Alver. From the poetry collection Tagasi olevikku (‘Back to the Present’, 2010) onwards, the poet has been seen as a down-to-earth interpreter of social affairs. Jana Lepik’s verse lines are mostly short; sometimes they contain inventive imperfect rhymes.

L. P. (Translated by I. A.)

Books in Estonian

Poetry
Lahtine taevas. Tallinn: Tuum, 2004. 40 lk.
Tuhahelbed. Tartu: Fantaasia, 2008. 132 lk.
Kus hommikud koidavad? Tartu: Fantaasia, 2009. 74 lk.
Tagasi olevikku. Tartu: Fantaasia, 2010. 63 lk.
Kask valgel asfaldil. Tartu: Fantaasia, 2011. 89 lk.
Maailm on alles, vaikuses. Tartu: Fantaasia, 2012. 85 lk.
Mikrokosmos. Tartu: Fantaasia, 2013. 67 lk.
Õhukeseks viilutatud aeg. Tartu: Fantaasia, 2014. 83 lk.
Katkendeid. Tartu: Fantaasia, 2017. 60 lk.
Bella Donna alien Jana Lepik, Roosa. Tallinn: Fantaasia, 2022. 63 lk.