Ellen Niit

Poems

Short stories

Plays

About Ellen Niit

Ellen Niit (née Ellen Hiob, official name 1949–1958 Ellen Niit, from 1958 Ellen Kross, 13 July 1928 – 30 May 2016) was an Estonian children’s writer, poet and translator.

Ellen Niit received her primary education in Tallinn, studied Estonian language and literature at Tartu State University from 1947–1952 and took postgraduate studies in children’s literature there from 1952–1956. Niit was a member of the Society of Estonian Women Students. After graduating from the university, Niit started working as a poetry consultant of the Estonian Writers’ Union (working there in 1956–1961) and as a non-staff editor of Estonian Television (1961–1963). Ellen Niit was a member of the Estonian Writers’ Union from 1954, a freelance writer from 1963. From 1949–1958, Ellen Niit was married to folklore and literature researcher Heldur Niit, and from 1958 to writer Jaan Kross. Their daughter is poet and artist Maarja Undusk (b. 1959), who has written the multi-award-winning monograph Heleda mõtte laast (‘A Shard of Bright Thought’, 2022) about her mother. Their sons are politician and writer Eerik-Niiles Kross (b. 1967) and film director and writer Märten Kross (b. 1970). In cooperation with the Writers’ Union, their children issue the Jaan Kross prize.

Niit has written mainly for children but also poetry for adults. Her first poems were published during her school days, in the 1940s, under the name Ellen Hiob in the newspaper Noorte Hääl and in the journal Looming. Her modernist poetry was fiercely attacked during her university days, which is why her first poetry collection was published as late as in 1960. In Niit’s later poetry, a significant role belongs to crisp experiences of nature and patriotic feelings.

Ellen Niit’s first published book was the children’s poem Kuidas leiti nääripuu (‘How the New Year Tree Was Found’, 1954), soon followed by Rongisõit (‘Train Ride’, 1957) with which several generations of young children have grown up, as Gustav Ernesaks’s melody helped increase its popularity among them.

Her works are still popular among children and are read in primary schools. Their characters are Krõll, a kind of furry animal with a long tail, Pille-Riin, a girl with two pigtails, and the twins Triinu and Taavi. The verse story Suur maalritöö (‘The Great Painting Job’) about the creation of the world, about colours or the lack of them has also been turned into a short film. The illustrations by artist Edgar Valter have greatly contributed to the success of many of her works among children. In addition to children’s prose, Ellen Niit has also written children’s plays; a large part of her masterful and concise intellectual work is in verse, and a lot of it has been set to music.

The most essential among her poetry collections for adults is Paekivi laul (‘Song of the Limestone’, 1998), among children’s poetry Midrimaa (1974) and Suur suislepapuu (‘The Great Appletree’, 1983).

Niit has translated poetry from Hungarian, Finnish and Russian. Her own works have been translated into Russian, Finnish, English, German, Dutch, Latvian, Lithuanian, French and Polish.

She and her creation received many awards: Estonian SSR Annual Literary Prize for the book Lahtiste uste päev (‘Day of Open Doors’, 1971), the title of the Merited Writer of the Estonian SSR (1977), the annual Juhan Smuul Literary Prize for Triinu ja Taavi uued ja vanad lood (‘Triinu and Taavi’s New and Old Stories’, 1978), Karl Eduard Sööt Prize for children’s poetry for the books Tere, tere, lambatall! (‘Hello, Hello, Little Lamb’) and Kuidas Krõll tahtis põrandat pesta (‘How Krõll Wanted to Wash the Floor’, both 1993), Juhan Liiv Poetry Prize for the collection Aeg voolab (‘Time is Flowing’, 1996), the Order of the White Star, 3rd Class (1999), Literature Endowment Annual Award for the book Ühel viivul vikervalgel (‘At a Bright Rainbow Moment’, 1999), the Eduard Vilde Prize in Literature for Paekivi laul (‘Song of the Limestone’, 1999), the Estonian National Culture Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award (2003), the Lifetime Achievement Award of the E. W. Ponkala Foundation for the development of cultural relations between Finland, Estonia and Hungary over decades (2005), the Estonian National Culture Award for Lifetime Achievement (2009), the Tallinn Coat of Arms Badge (2010). In addition, she was a candidate for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2004–2009, and in 2018 she was on the White Ravens list with the book Onu ööbik Öösorri tänavast (‘Uncle Nightingale from Nightjar Street’). In 2009, a bust of Ellen Niit by sculptor Erna Viitol was unveiled in the sculpture park of Sándor Petöfi’s translators in Kiskörös, Hungary.

M. K. (Translated by I. A.)

Books in Estonian

Poems
Maa on täis leidmist. Tallinn: Eesti Riiklik Kirjastus, 1960, 136 lk.
Linnuvoolija. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1970, 93 lk.
Vee peal käija. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1977, 112 lk.
Maailma pidevus. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1978, 285 lk.
Sügispeeglimäng. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1981, 25 lk.
Paekivi laul. Tallinn: Virgela, 1998, 368 lk; [2. trükk, Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus, 2008, 390 lk].
Aastatel on tiivad. Tallinn: Tammerraamat, 2019, 248 lk.

Children’s literature
Kuidas leiti nääripuu. Tallinn: Eesti Riiklik Kirjastus, 1954, 20 lk
Rongisõit. Tallinn: Eesti Riiklik Kirjastus, 1957, 14 lk; [2. trükk, Tallinn: Eesti Riiklik Kirjastus, 1963, 13 lk; 3. trükk, Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1986, 20 lk; 4. trükk, Tallinn: Tiritamm, 2001, 16 lk; 5. trükk, Tallinn: Tiritamm, 2004, 16 lk; 6. trükk: Tallinn: Tammerraamat, 2022, 36 lk]
Pille-Riini lood. Tallinn: Eesti Riiklik Kirjastus, 1963, 112 lk; [2. trükk, Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1971, 101 lk; 3. trükk, Tallinn: Tiritamm, 2003, 96 lk; 4. trükk, Tallinn: TEA Kirjastus, 2008, 88 lk, 5. trükk, Tallinn: Tammerraamat, 2013, 144 lk].
Jutt jänesepojast, kes ei tahtnud magama jääda. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1967, 12 lk; [2. trükk, Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1970, 16 lk; 3. trükk, Tallinn: Tiritamm, 2007, 16 lk].
Karud saavad aru. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1967, 25 lk; [2. trükk, Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1971, 24 lk; 3. trükk, Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1972, 24 lk; 4. trükk, Tallinn: Eesti Päevaleht, 2010, 24 lk].
Pähklist paat. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1968, 16 lk.
Õues kasvab tiritamm. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1968, 48 lk.
Imeline autobuss. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1968, 16 lk; [2. trükk, Tallinn: Ajakirjade Kirjastus, 2009, 16 lk]
Triinu ja Taavi jutud. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1970, 28 lk; [2. trükk, Triinu ja Taavi uued ja vanad lood. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1977, 52 lk; 3. trükk, Triinu ja Taavi lood. Tallinn: TEA Kirjastus, 2007, 63 lk; 4. trükk, Tallinn: Tammerraamat, 2017, 84 lk].
Suur maalritöö. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1971, 35 lk; [2. trükk, Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1985, 35 lk; 3. trükk, Tartu: Elmatar, 2008, 35 lk; 4. trükk, Tallinn: Tammerraamat, 2015, 38 lk].
Lahtiste uste päev. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1973, 12 lk; [2. trükk, Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1970, 62 lk.
Midrimaa. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1974, 107 lk; [2. trükk, Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 2000, 108 lk].
Triinu ja Taavi taskuteater. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1975, 253 lk.
Nääriametid. Tallinn: Kunst, 1977, 25 lk.
Oma olemine, turteltulemine. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1979, 99 lk.
Krõlli-raamat. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1979, 40 lk; [2. trükk Krõll, Tallinn: Tammerraamat, 2016, 75 lk].
Filmikrõll. Tallinn: Perioodika, 1980, 16 lk.
Jänesepojaõhtu koos isaga. Tallinn: Perioodika, 1982, 22 lk.
Suur suislepapuu. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1983, 279 lk.
Enne punaseid palituid. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1984, 72 lk.
Seitse väikest kuulujuttu. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1984, 48 lk.
Meil maal. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1985, 12 lk; [2. trükk: Postimees Grupp, 2016, 16 lk].
Tõmblukuga kass. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1989, 16 lk; [2. trükk, Tallinn: Argo, 2005, 16 lk].
Tere, tere, lambatall! Tallinn: ?, 1993, 18 lk; [2. trükk, Tallinn: TEA Kirjastus, 2010, 32 lk].
Kuidas Krõll tahtis põrandat pesta. Tartu: Elmatar, 1993, 14 lk.
Krõll ja igasugused hääled. Tartu: Elmatar, 1994, 32 lk.
Krõlli värviraamat – värvi ise! Tartu: Elmatar, 1994, 48 lk.
Kanaema kook. Tallinn: Ramona, 1996, 14 lk; [2. trükk, Tallinn: Tormikiri, ?, 14 lk].
Onu Ööbiku ööpäev. Tallinn: Tiritamm, 1998, 272 lk.
Ühel viivul vikervalgel. Tallinn: Tiritamm, 1999, 304 lk.
Pikk päkapikupäev. Tallinn: Tiritamm, 1999, 36 lk.
Krõlli pannkoogitegu. Tartu: Elmatar, 1999, 14 lk.
Kuidas leiti jõulupuu. Tallinn: Mixi, 2000, 20 lk; [2. trükk, Tallinn: Tammerraamat, 2013, 40 lk].
Kaelasall päkapikule. Tallinn: Huma, 2000, 48 lk.
Jakobi raamat. Tallinn: Tiritamm, 2001, 36 lk.
Veel ja veel Krõlliga maal ja veel. Tartu: Elmatar, 2002, 80 lk.
Laste laulud. Tallinn: TEA Kirjastus, 2006, 48 lk.
Noorte lehtede päev. Tallinn: TEA Kirjastus, 2008, 54 lk.
Mänguvesi. Tallinn: Tammerraamat, 2013, 344 lk.
Taeva võti. Tallinn: Tammerraamat, 2015, 224 lk.
Onu Ööbik Öösori tänavast. Tallinn: Tammerraamat, 2017, 48 lk.
Jänkujenka. Paide: Kuma, ?, 8 lk.

Miscellaneous
Ellen Niit, Jaan Kross, Muld ja marmor. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1968, 199 lk. [Reisikiri. 2. trükk, Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus, 2006, 252 lk].