Katrin Johanson

Katrin Johanson (born 20 I 1972) is a writer and teacher.

Johanson was born in Võru. She has graduated from Viljandi Culture Academy in the speciality of drama and has worked as a teacher and a journalist, also illustrated books. She is a member of the Estonian Writers’ Union from 2018.

Johanson’s debut novel Läbikäidavad toad (‘Walk-through Rooms’, 2015) belongs to the genre of memoir prose. The novel attempts to understand and interpret the labyrinth of 20th-century Estonian history from the viewpoint of one family. Johanson is able to create psychologically enticing, convincing and credible characters.

The action of her second novel Atlantis abajas (‘Atlantis in a Cove’) is set at the present time and concentrates on psychological types who are both attractive and frightening. Johanson tells a story of love and hate that rolls out at a school in a small Estonian town. A male colleague and a student with an apparent personality disorder are both fighting for the attention of a woman teacher.

In her third novel Hundirada (‘Wolf’s Trail’, 2018), Katrin Johanson also depicts people with unusual life stories.

Johanson’s fourth book Ta tuleb (‘It’s Coming’) includes ten short stories the common theme of which is death. Despite the sombre main theme, it is an optimistic book which contains a fair amount of humour and intelligent self-irony.

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

Books in Estonian

Novels
Läbikäidavad toad. Toimetanud Eda Allikmaa. Tallinn: Varrak, 2015, 183 lk. [2. trükk: 2016.]
Atlantis abajas. Toimetanud Jan Kaus. Tallinn: Varrak, 2016, 159 lk. [E-raamat: 2016.]
Hundirada. Tallinn: Varrak, 2018, 222 lk. [E-raamat: 2018.]

Short prose
Ta tuleb. Tallinn: Varrak, 2021. 149 lk.