Sirje Olesk
Sirje Olesk | |
|---|---|
Olesk in 2012 | |
| Born | Sirje Mägar 24 August 1954 Kohtla-Järve, Estonian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Occupations | Literary scholar, critic |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Known for | Research on Aino Kallas, Estonian–Finnish literary relations, and Soviet-era literary history |
| Spouse | Peeter Olesk (died 2021) |
| Awards | Order of the White Star, 3rd Class (2000) |
Sirje Olesk (née Mägar; born 24 August 1954) is an Estonian literary scholar and critic.[1] She held several research management roles at the Estonian Literary Museum from 1980 to 1997, later serving as a senior researcher at the institution.[2]
Early life and education
Olesk was born in Kohtla-Järve and raised in Jõhvi. She studied Estonian language and literature at the University of Tartu (then Tartu State University), graduating cum laude in 1977.[1][3] In 1989, she defended her Candidate of Philological Sciences thesis, titled Luuleteoreetilise mõtte areng Eestis 1878–1917 (The Development of Theoretical Thought on Poetry in Estonia 1878–1917).[1]
Career
After graduating, Olesk worked as a teacher in Tallinn until 1980. She then joined the Estonian Literary Museum in Tartu, where she served as research secretary (1980–1987), head of the research department (1988–1990), and research director (1990–1997). She continued as a senior researcher from 1998 until her retirement, subsequently becoming a senior researcher emeritus.[2][3]
Olesk has also taught at the universities of Tartu and Helsinki.[1] She served as a lecturer in Estonian culture and literature at the University of Helsinki for two terms (2008–2010 and 2015–2019).[4]
Research and editorial work
Olesk's scholarship focuses on Estonian poetry and poetic theory, the "Finnish Bridge" (Soome sild) of cultural relations between Estonia and Finland, and the institutional history of literature in the Estonian SSR.[1] She is a recognized authority on the Finnish-Estonian writer Aino Kallas and the poet Lydia Koidula.[1]
She has compiled and edited several significant volumes of correspondence and historical documents, including the letters of prominent Estonian intellectuals in exile such as Ants Oras and Ivar Ivask.[2]
Major works
In 2022, she published the monograph Aegade lugu: kirjanike liit Eesti NSVs (The Story of Times: The Writers' Union in the Estonian SSR).[1] The book, which explores the relationship between the Soviet state and the literary community, received the Cultural Endowment of Estonia's annual award for essay and non-fiction in 2023.[5][6]
Awards and honours
- 1994: Annual Prize of the Estonian Cultural Foundation
- 1996: E. W. Ponkala Award (Finland)
- 2000: Order of the White Star, 3rd Class (Estonia)[7]
- 2006: Aino Kallas Award (Finland)
- 2023: Annual Literature Prize of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia
Personal life
Olesk was married to the literary scholar and politician Peeter Olesk (1953–2021).[8]
Selected bibliography
- Eesti kirjanduslugu (History of Estonian Literature). Co-author. Tallinn: Koolibri, 2001. ISBN 9985011279
- Tõdede vankuval müüril: artikleid ajast ja luulest. Tartu: Eesti Kirjandusmuuseum, 2002. ISBN 9985867378
- Aegade lugu: kirjanike liit Eesti NSVs. Tallinn: Eesti Kirjanike Liit, 2022. ISBN 9789916981504
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Sirje Olesk". Estonian Writers' Online Dictionary. University of Tartu. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
- ^ a b c "Sirje Olesk". Estonian Research Information System (ETIS). Retrieved 28 December 2025.
- ^ a b "Kirjandusteadlane Sirje Olesk 70". Eesti Kirjandusmuuseum. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
- ^ "Intervjuu: Allikate läheduses, muutlikus ajas". Looming. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
- ^ "Kirjanduspreemia nominent Sirje Olesk: Nõukogude aeg oli kirjanike liidule huvitav periood". ERR. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
- ^ "Sirje Oleski monograafia pälvis Kultuurkapitali aastaauhinna". Eesti Kirjandusmuuseum. 20 March 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
- ^ "Riiklike autasude andmine". Riigi Teataja. Vabariigi President. 8 February 2000. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
- ^ "Suri Peeter Olesk". ERR. 25 November 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
External links
- Sirje Olesk in the Estonian Writers' Online Dictionary