Sanna Kartau

Sanna Kartau (born 25 November 1993) is a poet, artist and journalist.

Kartau was born in Tallinn. He completed Tallinn Rocca al Mare School in 2012 and graduated from Tallinn University in 2012 with a BA in sociology. In her school years, Kartau was chief editor of the Rocca al Mare School newspaper Casus Belli. After completing her studies of sociology, she lived in Germany for five years. In 2021, Kartau’s poems were published in the anthology of a Berlin creative writing community, The Sundays Book, among the works of 29 poets. From 2021-2023, Sanna Kartau was the culture editor of the newspaper Müürileht.

Sanna Kartau’s first poetry collection Ma hääletan selle sõja poolt oma kehaga (‘I Vote for This War with My Body’) appeared in 2022. The book reveals Kartau’s attempts to break through disagreements, injustice and chaos. The lyrical protagonist of the book values sincerity in interaction and relations, the naturality acquired in childhood. Partly, the author has drawn inspiration from abroad.

As an artist, Kartau mainly realises her visions as a performance artist, using poetry, field recordings, storytelling and movement to conceptualize the topics of gender, loss, privacy and porousness of self. She has performed at various festivals and art spaces in Estonia.

In 2022, Kartau received the Annual Award of the journal Värske Rõhk in the category of poetry. In the same year she received the Betti Alver Debut Prize for her debut poetry collection.

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

Books in Estonian

Poetry
Ma hääletan selle sõja poolt oma kehaga. Tallinn: Tuum, 2022, 82 lk.