The Southern Hemisphere Book Club (Lõunapoolkera Lugemisklubi) invites you to a special online gathering with writer Carolina Pihelgas, who will introduce her novel “Lõikejoon” (The Cut Line).
This is a rare opportunity to hear directly from the author — to listen, reflect and ask questions about a work that moves between the deeply personal and the quietly political.
Importantly, you don’t need to have read the book beforehand. Come as you are — curious, thoughtful, or simply in the mood for a meaningful conversation.
Event information
📅 Date: Sunday, 31 May 2026
🕕 Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne: 6.00 pm
🕓 Perth: 4.00 pm
🕗 Auckland: 8.00 pm
Please note: The conversation will be held in Estonian.
📍Zoom link: here
Meeting ID: 884 7952 9749
Passcode: 702356
About the book: Lõikejoon
At the heart of “Lõikejoon” is Liine, a young woman who retreats to the countryside after leaving a long-term relationship that has become emotionally toxic. Alone in a rural farmhouse, she begins the difficult process of confronting herself — her past, her pain, and the choices that brought her there.
The emotional landscape is echoed by the physical world around her — nearby military exercises rumble in the background, threatening both the environment and a sense of safety. The result is a layered narrative where inner conflict and external tension mirror each other.
Written in poetic fragments, the novel weaves together themes of relationships and emotional boundaries, trauma and healing, solitude and self-discovery, environmental and societal unease. It is a book that doesn’t rush to resolve — instead, it sits with the complexity of being human.
About Carolina Pihelgas
Carolina Pihelgas is an Estonian writer, poet, translator and editor whose work is known for its emotional depth and poetic clarity. She first gained wide recognition as a poet, with her prose poetry collection Valgus kivi sees (The Light Within the Stone, 2019) receiving the Estonian Cultural Endowment’s annual award for best poetry book.
In 2020, she was named Tartu’s City Writer Laureate — a great recognition that reflects both her literary voice and her place within Estonia’s contemporary writing landscape.
Carolina has published seven poetry collections and moved into prose with her debut novel Vaadates ööd (Watching the Night, 2022). “Lõikejoon” (The Cut Line) is her second work of fiction — and her first work translated into English, bringing her work to a wider international readership.
Her writing often sits at the intersection of the intimate and the societal, exploring relationships, identity, and the emotional realities that shape how we move through the world. There is a quiet intensity to her work — an honesty that doesn’t try to resolve complexity too quickly, but instead allows it to be seen and felt.
Why join this conversation?
Even if you haven’t read “Lõikejoon”, this event offers something valuable:
- a glimpse into contemporary Estonian literature,
- insight into the creative process behind a powerful novel,
- a chance to engage directly with the author,
- connect with like-minded readers and be part of a literary conversation.
Or simply — an hour to pause, listen, and think.
Find the book
📖 Available in Estonian and English:
In Estonian from Rahvaraamat
In English from: Apollo, Amazon, Goodreads and Booktopia
Read more
Facebook event page
Carolina Pihelgas on the Estonian Writers’ Online Dictionary
What is it that I don’t remember? — an interview by Siim Lill
Lõunapoolkera Lugemisklubi met and loved Urmas Vadi | HEIA
Southern Hemisphere Book Club leaned closer to the screens for Lilli Luuk | HEIA
Acknowledgement
This book club event is made possible thanks to the joint contribution and support of the Estonian societies of Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and the Gold Coast.
