Compiled and translated into Latvian by Daila Ozola, the collection includes Andrus Kivirähk's comedy "Fatherland Swallows," Tiit Aleksejev's historical drama "Livonian Requiem," Piret Jaaks' documentary play "Same Words, Another Tune," Mehis Pihla's comedy drama "Bладь и Миръ," Heneliis Notton's youth drama "Emesis," Paavo Piik's drama "Out of Your Depth," and Siret Campbell's futuristic drama "Beatrice."

"The plays by these seven authors are meant for both reading and staging," Ozola said. "The book's target audience includes young people, students and university students as well as directors, actors and other theater professionals."

The anthology was produced in cooperation with the Estonian Theater Agency (ETA).

Several of the authors from Estonia, ETA representatives as well as Latvian theater professionals attended the book launch last Thursday, which also featured a performance of a scene from Pihla's "Bладь и Миръ" by actors Jaanus Johanson, Eduards Johansons and Elīna Bojarkina.

"The collection published offers examples of both the precision of literary language and the playfulness of spoken language," ETA dramaturg Heidi Aadma wrote in the anthology's afterword. "Estonian authors know how to weave words — as tools for creating worlds — into their plays in all their multifacetedness, in line with their narrative and structural goals. Now newly translated into Latvian, these plays will hopefully find their way to Latvian theater stages and maintain our connection within a common realm of ideas and growth."

"Igauņu mūsdienu lugu izlase" was published by the Estonian publishing house Mina Ise, with design by Margus Nõmm.

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