First and Second Place in Poetry Competition Shared

The Linnujämm poetry competition, now in its second year, celebrated nature and literature by focusing on specific bird species. Organized by the University of Tartu's Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden in collaboration with the young literature magazine Värske Rõhk, the contest invited poets to write about the hoopoe, common swift, nightingale, corncrake, or Eurasian eagle-owl.

This year's competition saw 20 submissions, a slightly lower number than the previous year, but the jury, comprising Margus Kasterpalu, Saara Liis Jõerand, and Saara Lotta Linno, carefully considered each entry. After deliberation, they decided to award six prize-winning places, recognizing a range of poetic talent.

The winners were revealed on June 3rd during a nature poetry evening held at the picturesque Tartu University Botanical Garden. Additionally, Värske Rõhk presented a special award to a young author whose poem will be published in the magazine, further supporting emerging literary voices.