Estonian Children’s Literature in the 21th Century and Translated Newcomers

Mare MüürseppAss. Prof. , Tallinn University

Estonian children’s literature in the 21th century

Fantasy based on folkloreFantasy about child’s ideasStories about family and schoolHard realismPicture book – multimedial literatureYoung generation of writers

Fantasy based on folklore

Fantasy about child’s ideas

Stories about family and school

Hard realism

Picture book – multimedial literature

Young generation of writers

Translated children’s booksAve Matteus 2005 (Even-Zohar):

Translated too muchBounty of non-fiction Translations influence the topic of national literatureTranslation is cheaper than original; publisher as a flunky of international corporationNational literature getting stronger during 1990-2005Gaps in national literature – reflection of today everyday life of young people

About fiction, focusing on

Series “Pinaccle”, publisher AvitaAward of the Tower of Babel –

Philip Pullman 2004, Moni Nilsson-Brännström 2005, Louis Sachar 2006, Vladimir Timin 2007

Series “Pinnacle”

Peter Pohl. Jag är kvar hos erJan Guillou. OndskanMarja-Leena Tiainen. Rakas MikaelHans Olsson. Spelar rollKristen Boie. Nicht Chicago, nicht hierHelen Beaglehole. Hanging on letting goKevin Brooks. Lucas …

List for Tower of Babel (2003-2007)

Translated from English – 63 %Swedish – 11 % German – 6,4 %Finnish – 6,4 %French – 5,1 %Norwegian – 3, 8 %Latvian, Russian, Flemish – 1 book

Focus on plot and setting – 80,8 %Character, person’s relations – 16,6 %Historical novel – 2 books

Philip Pullman, translator Eve Laur

Moni Nilsson-Brännström, translator Allar Sooneste

Louis Sachar, translator Leelo Märjamaa

Vladimir Timin, translator Arvo Valton