Take Six: Six Estonian Women Writers

The Estonian short story is distinguished by its intriguing genre characteristics: it is a narrative with a dense setting and few characters, usually with an unexpected twist at the end.

This collection of stories features the best contemporary Estonian female short story writers: Aino Pervik (born 1932), Piret Raud (born 1971), Kätlin Kaldmaa (born 1970), Mudlum, alias Made Luiga, (born 1966), Lilli Luuk, alias Kristina Tamm, (born 1976) and Aliis Aalmann (born 1995). Each of these writers has received Estonia’s highest recognition for short prose―the Friedebert Tuglas Short Story Award.

Currently, the Estonian short story is firmly crowned by the sensitive and special pen of women, and women’s experience gets a special focus here. These tales span a rich mix of themes, from the supernatural to the comedic, from coming-of-age to gothic romance, from the complexities of family life to evocative reflections on the past, all through the lens of largely female protagonists.

The authors selected for this collection have established themselves in several genres, including novels, poetry, writing for children, translating, as well as non-fiction.