Joanna Ellmann

Joanna Ellmann (born 11 July 1988) is a poet.

Ellmann was born and attended school in Tallinn and studied literature and cultural studies at the University of Tartu. She has been a member of the Estonian Writers’ Union from 2020. Her father was poet Andres Allan. Ellmann was the manager of the music group Ultramelanhool which included her uncle, artist Raoul Kurvitz and her nephew Robert Kurvitz, writer and creator of the computer game Disco Elysium.

Her debut collection Liivaterade lend (‘Flight of Sand Grains’) appeared in 2008; Kõrbenud galaktikad (‘Scorched Galaxies’) followed a year later. Since her first collections, she has stood out as an idiosyncratic creator whose poetry is characterised by dark undercurrents and mystical motifs. Other typical features of Ellmann’s poetry are introspection, use of elements of fantasy literature and folklore, symbolism of death and the otherworld, which is foregrounded, for example, in the collection Sulgunud ruum (‘Closed-up Space’, 2015). Surrealist vision, abundance of pictures and images, existential searches and a metaphysical undertone create a peculiar world.

A. K. (Translated by I. A.)

Books in Estonian

Poetry collections
Liivaterade lend. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2008, 93 lk
Kõrbenud galaktikad. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2009, 62 lk
Kriipimisi kookonist. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2010, 95 lk
Sulgunud ruum: luuletusi aastatest 2011-2013. Tartu: Paranoia, 2015, 59 lk
Olemise maa. Tartu: Omailm, 2017, 69 lk
Kõrbest. Tartu: Omailm, 2018, 85 lk
Peegeldused tundmatust. Tartu: Omailm, 2020, 96 lk