Baltic Belles (The Dedalus Book of Estonian Women's Literature)

Translator: Adam Cullen, Jason Finch   Edited by: Elle-Mari Talivee   Cover design: Marie Lane  

This anthology presents readers with a broad selection of fiction written between the late 19th century and today. The collection opens with the early realist Elisabeth Aspe, who described both village life and urban fear during the final decades of the 19th century. Early 20th-century works by female writers often discussed the young creative individual’s encounters in the transformed urbanised world, some of the most outstanding examples of which are by the great Betti Alver. After World War II, Estonian writing bore the unmistakable signs of Soviet censorship. Nevertheless, Viivi Luik’s momentous novel The Seventh Spring of Peace managed to avoid suppression, and the wonderfully unique Asta Põldmäe seized her opportunity to write. Very strong authors such as Eeva Park, Maarja Kangro and Maimu Berg flourished with the return of freedom of expression in the late 20th century, and continue to do so today. They represent the best of Estonian short-story writing, handling social topics very sharply and suggestively, and scrutinising the country’s soul in a highly personal manner.

Contents
Foreword by Elle-Marie Talivee. The translations are by Eva & Jason Finch (6), Adam Cullen (5)and Christopher Moseley(1).Their initials appear in the contents after their translation.
1.Ain of Ennosaure by Elisbeth Aspe (AC) 2. The Wind’s Paramour by Betti Alver (AC) 3. Family Tree by Aimee Beekman(E&JF) 4. The Seventh Spring of Peace by Vilvi Luik (E&JF) 5. Ella by Elion Toona (AC) 6. Lying Tiger by Lilli Promet(AC) 7. In the Eye of the Wolf by Helga Nou(AC) 8. Tango by Eeva Park(E&JF) 9. In the Winds of Blue Heights by Mari Saat(E&JF) 10. The Meteorite Shard by Asta Poldmae (E&JF) 11. Awakenings by Maimu Berg (E&JF)12. At the Manor, or Jump into the Fire by Maarja Kangro(CM)