Marie Ojamaa publishes debut poetry collection in Värske Raamat series

Estonian poet Marie Ojamaa has published her first collection, “Hypermarhondria ehk yhe kuutõbise kenad ja täpsed päevakätked,” in the Värske Raamat book series, ERR reports.

Edited by Saara Lotta Linno and designed by Emma Leeloo Dillon, the collection explores childhood trauma and liminal dream worlds, highlighting the fragility of being alive.

The work combines cosmic imagination with personal experiences in what can be read as a dark 21st-century fairy tale. It condemns violent systems while depicting characters who continue, despite everything, to strive for a more beautiful and brighter world.

Intertextuality is also central to the collection. Cultural references woven into the poems create a multifaceted picture of the atmosphere and shared aesthetics of growing up in the 2000s.

The book’s numerous illustrations, created through collaboration between Ojamaa and Dillon, play an important role alongside the texts.

Ojamaa’s poetry has been published in Looming, Müürileht and Värske Rõhk. In 2026, she was nominated for the Värske Rõhk annual awards. She has been part of the young writers’ ranks of the Writers’ Union and has performed at the Tallinn Poetry Slam.