A figure of youthful prominence in Belarus, Volya Hapeyeva is at the very forefront of emergent poets reaching their notoriety in Eastern Europe. A lauded playwright, critic and linguistic philosopher, as well as a poet, her depth and zest have marked her out as one of the most agile stylists writing in Europe at large. Her work is marked by a sensitivity and care that many would find incongruous with her rigour and methodological pragmatism. She makes the conflagration of lyrical poetry & collaborations with Belarussian techno DJ’s seem effortless. We are happy once again to introduce another fantastic young poet as the 38th edition of the Maintenant series.

Accompanying the interview are seven of her poems. It is the first time her work has appeared in the English language.

We are indebted to Chris Michalski for his translations.