Siim Pauklin

Siim Pauklin (born 16 August 1982) is a molecular biologist, poet and essayist.

Pauklin was born in physicians’ family in Jõgeva. In 2000, he completed Jõgeva Secondary School No. 1. In 2004, he received a bachelor’s degree cum laude at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Tartu and in 2005 acquired a master’s degree there. He was awarded a doctoral degree at University College London in 2009. Since 2018, Pauklin has been working as head of laboratory at Oxford University. His research is focussed on tumour formation mechanisms and stem cells of cancer.

In 2011, Pauklin published the poetry collection Aheldatud Jõgeva (‘Chained Jõgeva’). The book consists unexceptionally of haikus, which are grouped thematically and reflect the present-day lifestyle wittily and often ironically. In 2017, the second poetry collection Viis ürgelementi ja koer (‘Five Primeval Elements and Dog’) was published, which also consists of very short haiku-like poems.

In 2017, Siim Pauklin also published the book Ahela ots ehk jooksus inimene (‘End of the Chain or a Human on the Run’) where short essays alternate with poems on similar themes. The focus of interest in the book is the human as a phenomenon and the meaning of life viewed from the perspective of present-day science. The book reveals Pauklin’s competence as a researcher but also his broad erudition in classical humanitarian fields. The book’s prose is sharp, precise and clear, and the author creates expressive images in the poems.

Ellujääjad (‘Survivors’), published in 2018, is an experiment where short popular-scientific texts are published side by side with poems on the same theme.  

In the Estonian press, Pauklin has published numerous broad-viewed essays and articles on topical social questions.

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

Books in Estonian

Poetry
Aheldatud Jõgeva. Pärnu: Jumalikud Ilmutused, 2011. 137 lk.
Viis ürgelementi ja koer. Tallinn: post factum, 2017. 152 lk.

Essays
Ahela ots, ehk, Jooksus inimene. Luige: Verb, 2017. 104 lk.
Ellujääjad. Tallinn: Tuum, 2018. 95 lk.