Olivia Saar
Olivia Saar | |
|---|---|
Saar in 2010 | |
| Born | Olivia Valdmaa 18 October 1931 Narva, Estonia |
| Died | 16 March 2025 (aged 93) |
| Occupation | Children's writer, poet, journalist |
| Language | Estonian |
| Notable works | Tere, tere, tedretähnid (1966) Lõvi Lõrr ja jänes Jass (1972) |
| Notable awards | Karl Eduard Sööt Prize for Children's Poetry (1988, 2019) Order of the White Star, V Class (2017) |
| Spouse | Juhan Saar |
Olivia Saar (18 October 1931 – 16 March 2025) was an Estonian children's writer and poet, and a journalist and editor associated with major Estonian children's periodicals. She worked for decades on the children's magazine Pioneer and was among the founders of the magazine Täheke. [1][2]
Life and career
Saar was born in Narva and grew up in Mäetaguse in Virumaa. She attended Mäetaguse primary school and the Rakvere Pedagogical School, graduating from the Tallinn Teachers' Institute in 1952 and from the Tallinn Pedagogical Institute in 1959, specialising in Estonian language and literature. [2][1]
From 1952 to 1955 Saar worked in the editorial office of the children's newspaper Säde. From 1955 to 1987 she worked on the children's magazine Pioneer, and after the founding of Täheke she also worked in the joint editorial office of Pioneer and Täheke. [2][1]
Later, she worked in the Estonian Book Society and in the registry of the Tallinn Children's Hospital (1992–2006). From 2006 to 2011 she served as a senior consultant on children's literature at TEA Publishers, where she initiated and compiled several children's book series and collections. [2][1]
Saar was a member of the Estonian Writers' Union from 1982 until her death. [2][1]
Writing
Saar's first standalone children's poetry collection, Tere, tere, tedretähnid (1966), marked the start of a long publishing career in children's poetry; she went on to publish around thirty children's poetry collections. [2][1]
Her best-known prose work for children is the humorous collection of allegorical stories Lõvi Lõrr ja jänes Jass (1972), which has been reprinted in expanded editions and adapted for television. [2][1]
In addition to children's literature, Saar published memoirs for adult readers, including Humalapuu (2005) and Kanarbikukartus (2010), as well as the aphorism collection Hetked endas (2016). [2]
Awards and recognition
In 1988, Saar received the Karl Eduard Sööt Prize for Children's Poetry for Tuulelillede tuba. She received the prize again in 2019 for Tähed on taevatuled. [2][3]
In 2017, Saar was awarded the Order of the White Star, V Class. [2][1]
In 2019, Tallinna University named her among its "alumni of the century" (sajandi vilistlased). [4]
Her poem text "Naerulohkudega maailm" was included in the official repertoire of the 2019 Estonian Song Festival (XXVII general song celebration "Minu arm"), set to music by Helin-Mari Arder. [5]
Selected works
- Tere, tere, tedretähnid (1966)
- Lõvi Lõrr ja jänes Jass (1972)
- Mängitud mängud (1981)
- Maasikamaiad (1993)
- Humalapuu (2005)
- Kanarbikukartus (2010)
- Hetked endas (2016)
- Tähed on taevatuled (2019)
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Suri lastekirjanik Olivia Saar". ERR (in Estonian). 16 March 2025. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Olivia Saar". Estonian Writers' Online Dictionary. University of Tartu. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ "Luunja valla K. E. Söödi lasteluuleauhind". Luunja vald (in Estonian). Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ "Sajandi vilistlased". Tallinna Ülikool (in Estonian). Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ "Mudilaskoor – Laulupeo repertuaar (XXVII üldlaulupidu \"Minu arm\")". XXVII üldlaulupidu \"Minu arm\" (2019) (in Estonian). Retrieved 9 January 2026.
External links
- Olivia Saar at the Estonian Writers' Online Dictionary
- ERR obituary (16 March 2025)