Ilmar Särg

Ilmar Särg (born 11 March 1955) is a physician, novelist, children’s writer and poet.

Särg was born in Elva. In 1962–1974, he studied at Tartu Secondary School No. 2 and in 1974–1980 at the Faculty of Medicine at Tartu State University from which he graduated cum laude. Since 1981, he has worked at the Cardiology Clinic of Tartu University Hospital in Maarjamõisa neighbourhood of Tartu as a physician and lecturer. He has been a member of the Estonian Writers’ Union since 1999. For a long time, he was also a member of the Elva town council.

Ilmar Särg made his debut with poems and stories in the press in 1976. He has written two books together with his father Ain Särg (1932–1997) — the short story collection Kahekesi (‘The Two of Us’, 1997) and the novel Tagasi Ojamäele (‘Back to Ojamäe’, 1999). He has also continued and published the manuscripts belonging to his father’s legacy.

Ilmar Särg’s poems are often melodious with a yearning tonality. The prevailing features of Särg’s poetry are love for nature and rustic ethics. In his prose, Särg is a writer who touches the sore points of society and is outspokenly topical.  His novels show the fading of earlier rural life in Estonia. Critics have found similarity with such socially sensitive authors like Vello Lattik, Raimond Kaugver, Heino Kiik and Peeter Urm in Särg’s work.

In 2002, Ilmar Särg’s novel Sada aastat armastust (‘A Hundred Years of Love’) received the A. H. Tammsaare Literary Award. Särg’s publishing company Lambri Raamat has issued more than 30 books.

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

Books in Estonian

Novels
Ain ja Ilmar Särg, Tagasitulek Ojamäele. Tartu: Lambri Raamat, 1999. 139 lk.
Sada aastat armastust. Tartu: Lambri Raamat, 2001. 275 lk.
Ain ja Ilmar Särg, Murdunud keeristuules. Elva: Lambri Raamat, 2009. 179 lk.
Tiiu, talu tütrekene. Elva: Lambri Raamat, 2013. 99 lk.
Tähe lend. Tallinn: Tänapäev; Elva: Lambri Raamat, 2015. 213 lk.
Varjus. Elva: Lambri Raamat, 2016. 209 lk.
Kaugel külas. Elva: Lambri Raamat, 2022. 232 lk.

Short prose
Ain ja Ilmar Särg, Kahekesi [juhtumusi haigetest ja arstidest]. Tallinn: I. Särg, 1997. 109 lk.
Kirjad Sinule. Elva: Lambri Raamat, 2005. 119 lk.
Poeet ja Lyyrika: 21 lugu. Elva: Lambri Raamat, 2010. 166 lk.
Pöörased lood. Elva: Lambri Raamat, 2014. 241 lk.
Mesiniku lood. Elva: Lambri Raamat, 2018. 172 lk.
Vahemere näkk ja teisi tõsijutte. Elva: Lambri Raamat, 2021. 196 lk.

Poetry
Lambri laulud. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1986. 63 lk.
Seisnud salmid armastusest. Elva: Lambri Raamat, 2015. 77 lk.

Stories for children
Lambri lood. Tallinn: Valgus, 1993. 15 lk.
Ülle ja Ilmar Särg, Viisjaani kool [jutt]. Tallinn: Kupar, 1997. 59 lk.

Poems for children
Ülemere. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1989. 39 lk.