Piret Põldver

Piret Põldver (born 29 January 1985) is a researcher of literature, critic, editor and poet.

Põldver was born in Tartu, attended Rõngu Secondary school and completed Mart Reinik Gymnasium in Tartu. She acquired a BA in literature and folklore and in 2018 an MA in literature and theatre studies at the University of Tartu.

From 2007–2013, Põldver worked as a trainee at A. H. Tammsaare Museum at Vargamäe, an assistant at the Estonian Literary Museum, an administrator at Tartu Student Village, a support person at Johannes Mihkelson Centre and a proofreader at Postimees newspaper. From 2013, she has worked as a language editor. From 2006, Piret Põldver has written book reviews and literary criticism for the periodicals Eesti Päevaleht, Looming, Vikerkaar, Sirp, Estonian Literary Magazine, Eesti Ekspress, and Värske Rõhk. From 2017, she has published interviews with Estonian writers (Maarja Pärtna, Mehis Heinsaar, Eva Koff, Marko Kompus, Kalju Kruusa, Andrus Kasemaa, and others).

Several poems from Piret Põldver’s debut collection Alati nii järsku (‘Always So Suddenly’, 2020) were earlier published in journals. The 41 poems of the book constitute a whole, connecting three stages in the author’s life: childhood, university years and adult life. A characteristic feature of her poems is narrativity. Eight of the nine poems in the first part are strongly narrative and tell some concrete story from the author’s childhood. The poems of the second part have been inspired by some idea or detail of everyday life. The last part deals with the fleetingness of time.

Piret Põldver’s prose book Hoog (‘Bout’, 2022) speaks about alcohol and getting rid of its temptation. The book consists of two parts: fictional introspection and eight interviews, seven of which have been conducted with people who have given up alcohol and the eighth with the partner of a former alcoholic.

Piret Põldver has been a member of the Estonian Writers’ Union from 2022.

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

Books in Estonian

Poetry
Alati nii järsku. Tartu: Henrik, 2020. 79 lk.

Prose
Hoog. Tartu: Kastani Tänava Kirjastus, 2022. 159 lk.