Asta Põldmäe
Asta Põldmäe (b. April 5, 1944) is an Estonian writer, critic, translator and editor.
Põldmäe was born at Puurmani, Tartu County. From 1951–1960 she studied at Puurmani Secondary School, from 1960–1962 at Tartu Secondary School No. 3 and from 1962–1963 at Tartu Secondary School No. 5. In 1969, she graduated from Tartu State University in the speciality of journalism. In parallel with her speciality, she developed her skills in art at Kaljo Põllu’s studio and was a member of the Visarid art group. In 1977–1980, she studied Spanish by distance learning at a foreign language course in Moscow. From 1969–1975, Põldmäe worked as the editor of the weekly newspaper of Tartu State University, from 1979–1985 as Tartu correspondent of the newspaper Sirp ja Vasar and from 1985–1986 as editor of its literature department. From 1986–2019, she was literature editor of the journal Looming. She was married to literary scholar Jaak Põldmäe (1942–1979). She is a member of the Estonian Writers’ Union since 1978.
Põldmäe made her earliest appearances in literature in the early 1960s, publishing short stories, stories for children and translations from Finnish and Russian. Her first book was the short story cycle Me (‘We’) published in 1977. Põldmäe’s creation, which includes children’s books as well as short stories and stories aimed at adults, has condensed text and refined form as well as a lyrical-psychological undertone looking back in time, carrying the softly cautious feeling for life of a woman born during the war. Her books have been translated into Finnish, Swedish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Armenian, Kazakh, Chuvash, Tatar, Russian, Dutch, Spanish, German and English.
In addition, Põldmäe has edited the works of Estonian authors, translated prose from Finnish and Spanish into Estonian, written literary criticism and analysed the creation of both Estonian and foreign authors. Together with her husband Jaak Põldmäe, she wrote a radio play based on the children’s book Winnie the Pooh by A. Milne.
In 1979, Asta Põldmäe received the annual Juhan Smuul Literary Prize for the youth book Mitmekesi maateral (‘Several of Us on the Grain of Earth’). She has twice received the Friedebert Tuglas Short Story Award for her stories published in the journal Looming: in 1983 for Kuumalaine (‘Heat Wave’, Looming 5/1982) and in 1995 for Vastu ööd (‘Into the Night’, Looming 4/1994). In 2019, Põldmäe received the Edvin and Lembe Hiedel Editor Award issued by the Estonian Association of Language Editors, and in 2021, the Order of the White Star, class V.
M. K. (Translated by I. A.)
Books in Estonian
Children’s/youth literature
Mitmekesi maateral. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1978, 120 lk.
Sügisjooniku seeme. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1989, 64 lk.
Murulauk. Tallinn: Hea Lugu, 2018, 112 lk.
Prose fiction (novellas and short stories)
Me. Tallinn: Perioodika (Loomingu Raamatukogu), 1977, 48 lk.
Linnadealune muld. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1989, 168 lk.
Viini plika. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 1999, 180 lk.
Kirjad pääsukestele. Tallinn: Emakeele Sihtasutus, 2009, 126 lk.
Ja valguse armulise. Kirjatöid aastaist 1975–2013. Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus, 2014, 588 lk.
Talvine teekond. Tallinn: Emakeele Sihtasutus, 2024, 189 lk.
