Valeria Ränik
Valeria Ränik (born 19 August 1964) is a poet and prose writer.
Ränik was born and attended school in Moscow. She acquired the qualification of an electronics engineer at the Moscow Institute of Radio Engineering, Electronics and Automation. Thereafter, Ränik studied Estonian and Finno-Ugric philology at the University of Tartu; the master’s thesis she defended there dealt with Lehte Hainsalu’s creation. Ränik was a member of the Hirohall grouping and has been a member of the Estonian Writers’ Union since 1991.
After publishing verses in the press, Ränik issued her first poetry collections Ellujäämine (‘Survival’) and Orb (‘Orphan’) in 1990. These received the Eduard Vilde Prize in Literature (1991), Orb additionally got the Betti Alver Debut Prize (1990). An essential place in Ränik’s poetry belongs to the change of the language and cultural environment, to being an Estonian. The series of poetry collections with the word “ajast” (about the time) in their titles foreground the more sociocritical attitude in contrast to the purely economic view; an essential place belongs to spiritual independence and ethics. Examples of multilingual poetry can be found in the collection Linnad kasvavad ümber metsa: valik luulet 1984–2014 (‘Towns Growing Around the Forest: Selection of Poetry from 1984–2014’, 2014). A significant place in Ränik’s creation belongs to the theme of nature and animals, particularly cats and lynxes. She has studied lynxes thoroughly, collected materials and published books about them. Cats and children are the main characters in the book Ülejõel, Kassilaiu pealinnas (‘In Cat Islet Capital Beyond the River’, 2000) and its sequel (2013). The former received the Literature Endowment Annual Award.
In 2014, Ränik announced that she had finished issuing books on paper as she did not want to contribute to cutting down of forests, adding that “there are other ways to publish books.”
She has received a prize from the Mother Tongue Society for collecting language material (1994) and a special award at the playwriting competition of the Estonian Theatre Agency for the play Mullamustuke (1995).
A. K. (Translated by I. A.)
Books in Estonian
Poetry collections
Ellujäämine. Tartu: Eesti Kostabi Selts, 1990, 71 lk
Orb: eemalolija luuletusi. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1990, 93 lk
Ajast kinni: luuletusi aastaist 1988-1992. Helsinki: Oittinen, 1993, 80 lk
Ajast väljas. Viljandi: ajaleht Sakala, 1994, 31 lk
Ajast mööda: luuletusi aastatest 1994-1998. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2000, 94 lk
Aitab ajast: valikkogu 1983-2000. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2001, 61 lk
Metsa poole: 12 aastat imelist salaelu. Tartu: V. Ränik, 2011, 96 lk
Linnad kasvavad ümber metsa: valik luulet 1984-2014. Tartu: V. Ränik, 2014, 55 lk
Books for children
Ülejõel, Kassilaiu pealinnas: jutustus. Tartu: Elmatar, 2000, 64 lk [2. trükk: 2006]
Luulepere pereluuleraamat. Tallinn: Tuum, 2001, 44 lk
Väike ilves, suur Murr ja teised: muinasjutt. Tartu: V. Ränik, 2003, 120 lk
Seitsme puu ja mätta taga: kaasaegne metsalugu määramata vanuses inimlastele. Tartu: V. Ränik, 2007, 30 lk
Valgust täis suur pilvealune tuba: luuletused. Tallinn: TEA Kirjastus, 2007, 60 lk
Puude taga jõgi, jõe taga mets: muinasjutukauge metsalugu igas vanuses inimlastele. Tartu: V. Ränik, 2010, 30 lk
Ülejõel, Kassilaiu pealinnas. Teine raamat. Tartu: V. Ränik, 2013, 128 lk
Miscellaneous
Lehte Hainsalu: miski peab olema püha. Tartu: V. Ränik, 2004, 263 lk
Hundijutud ja karulood. Tartu: V. Ränik, 2005, 128 lk
Ilves ilves. Raamat maailma ilvestest. Tartu: V. Ränik, 2005, 320 lk
Viis aastat vanemaks. Tartu: V. Ränik, 2008, 96 lk
Hundijutud ja karulood. Teine raamat. Tartu: V. Ränik, 2010, 200 lk
