Sveta Grigorjeva
Sveta Grigorjeva (b. 16. I 1988) is a poet, dancer and choreographer.
Grigorjeva was born and educated in Tallinn, and studied choreography at the University of Tallinn (with a master’s degree in 2013). She furthered her training in France, at the Université Nice-Sophia-Antipol.
She made her debut with poems in the journals Värske Rõhk and Vikerkaar; her debut collection, Kes kardab Sveta Grigorjevat? (‘Who’s Afraid of Sveta Grigorjeva?’, 2013) attracted lively attention. Grigorjeva touches on various social and public subjects; for example, one of the consistent motifs in her poetry is the question of Estonian-Russian identity, and close contact with Lasnamäe, the place where she was brought up. Grigorjeva contests various fixed (gender) stereotypes. Her poetry is at times relaxed and colloquial in expression, rich in language and sometimes humorous. Kes kardab Sveta Grigojevat? won the Vikerkaar journal’s vote for ‘debut of the year’. In 2013, Grigorjeva also won the University of Tallinn literature prize (2013) for her poems.
Her collection American beauty (2018) is also notable for the bold stances it takes.Her third collection, Frankenstein (2023), focuses on the body while still being critical on social matters. This collection also received much praise and the Jaan Kross Literary Prize.
Grigorjeva is also a frequent essayist and literary critic. Her collection of articles, Kliitor on anarhist (‘The Clitoris is an Anarchist’, 2024), won the Literature Endowment Annual Award in the essay category.
A. K. (Translated by C. M.)
Books in Estonian
Poetry collections
Kes kardab Sveta Grigorjevat?. Tallinn: Värske Rõhk, 2013, 86 lk. [2. trükk: 2020.]
American beauty. Tallinn: Suur Rida, 2018, 71 lk.
Frankenstein. Tallinn: Suur Rida, 2023, 100 lk.
Essays and articles
Kliitor on anarhist : arvustused, arvamused ja intervjuud. Tallinn: Suur Rida, 2024, 220 lk.
