Vello Jaska

Vello Jaska (born 9 May 1949) is a poet, playwright, journalist and local historian.

Jaska was born at Pikasilla village in Valga County. Ta studied at Pikasilla and Ala 8-year schools and Tõrva Secondary School. After two years of military service, Jaska acquired higher education at Tallinn Pedagogical Institute in the speciality of Estonian language and literature. He also graduated from the University of Tartu in the speciality of journalism. He has worked as a builder, teacher of Estonian at Aakre boarding school for children with special needs, head of school at Hummuli, border guard officer in Valga County and journalist.

Jaska’s creation has been influenced by life and work on the farm inherited from his parents at Karjatnurme village in Tõrva parish. Jaska has written poems in literary Estonian and in South Estonian Helme dialect. His poems are mostly rhymed, in variable metre. In his poetry collections, he expresses love for his homeland, primarily for the people, nature and heritage of his home region – Mulgimaa. In his plays, Jaska interprets local historic events and depicts the sore points of present-day life. For years, his plays have been staged at a summer theatre in the yard of Pallo farm in Hummuli parish. The collection of plays Varjus ja valguses (‘In Shadow and Light’, 2011) contains his popular plays Kui lõhnab maarjahein (‘Smell of Sweet Vernal Grass’), Vabakutselised elukunstnikud (‘Freelance Smooth Operators’) and Valgete pilvede lend (‘Flight of White Clouds’).

Jaska has also written several prose books in which he has recorded stories and memories about the past of his locality, its celebrities and highlight events.

L. P. (Translated by I. A.)

Books in Estonian

Poetry
Mööda kõnnumaad. Valga: Litero, 1998. 75 lk.
Nagu kauge kaja. Valga: Litero, 2001. 55 lk.
Mõtteväljadel. Valga: Litero, 2004. 46 lk.
Kodulävel. Tõrva: Litero, 2008. 79 lk.
Kodukeelen: luuletuse Mulgi murden. Tõrva: V. Jaska, 2017. 91 lk.

Plays
Juured kodumullas: valik näidendeid. Valga: Litero, 2000. 78 lk.
Koduigatsus: näidendid. Valga: Litero, 2003. 103 lk.
Ajatuultes: näidendid. Valga: T. Gulbe, 2005. 79 lk.
Rambivalgus: näidendid. Valga: Litero, 2006. 96 lk.
Varjus ja valguses. Tõrva: V. Jaska, 2011. 133 lk.
Tõrva legend: näidendid. Tõrva: V. Jaska, 2018. 96 lk.

Local history
Lauludest helisevad aastad: Tõrva meesansambli 40. aastapäeva juubeliraamat. Tõrva: Litero, 2008. 200 lk.
Hummuli läbi aegade. Hummuli: Hummuli Vallavalitsus, 2013. 216 lk.
Hingevalgus: legendaarse Kulli Mari elu lugu. Tõrva: LC Tõrva Mari, 2014. 104 lk.
Kauge aja kutse: muljeid ja meenutusi Mulgimaal Helme vallas olevast Karjatnurme külast ning selle küla elu ja ilmet kujundanud inimestest. Tõrvas: V. Jaska, 2016. 120 lk.
Seal, kus Emajõgi voolab: Pikasilla ajakeerises. Tõrva: Kuldne Lammas, 2020. 207 lk.