Elo Selirand

Elo Selirand (pseudonym Aliis Jõe, born 9 July 1975) is a film and television director and prose writer.

Selirand was born and attended school in Tallinn and studied television production at Tallinn Pedagogical University. He has worked at Estonian Radio and Estonian Television, since 2003 she has been a director at Estonian National Broadcasting.

The books of the Aliis series, published under the pseudonym of Aliis Jõe — Viimane laev (‘The Last Ship’, 2017), …kes pole kunagi söönud homaari (‘…Who Has Never Eaten a Lobster’, 2018) and Kõik teed viivad Roomast (‘All Roads Lead from Rome, 2021) — focus on the ups and downs of a single mother’s life, being classified as easy-to-read women’s books. The novel Tormpuudlane (2018), published under the name Elo Selirand, received the A. H. Tammsaare literary award in 2019. It examines the characters’ destinies over a century in the key of magical realism. The action of the crime novel Tormi märgid (‘Signs of the Storm’, 2021) takes place in the 19th century manor setting.

Selirand has written several documentary books (about the Covid pandemic, the chromatic kannel, and building a wooden house) and memoirs from his work at Estonian Television.

Selirand is the director, screenwriter, assistant and producer of various TV shows and films, among others, she is the director and screenwriter of the short feature film Kutsar koputab kolm korda (‘The Coachman Knocks Three Times, 2010). In 2007, she received the best support assistant prize of the Visual and Applied Art Endowment of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.

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

Books in Estonian

Novels
Aliis Jõe, Viimane laev. Tallinn: Varrak, 2017, 191 lk. [2. trükk: 2018.]
Tormpuudlane. Tallinn: Hea Lugu, 2018, 237 lk
Aliis Jõe, …kes pole kunagi söönud homaari. Tallinn: Varrak, 2018, 262 lk
Aliis Jõe, Unustamatu Ööbiku villa. Tallinn: Hea Lugu, 2020, 167 lk
Tormi märgid. Tallinn: Varrak, 2021, 270 lk
Aliis Jõe, Kõik teed viivad Roomast. Tallinn: Varrak, 2022, 223 lk

Books for children
Punane päevik. Tallinn: Tänapäev, 2020, 246 lk

Documentary books and memoirs
Elu eesliinil: koroonalahing Kuressaare haiglas. Tallinn: Tänapäev, 2020, 174 lk
Kromaatilise kandle sõge lugu : Els Roode mälestuste põhjal. Tallinn: Eesti Kandleliit, 2024, 176 lk.
Seiklus nimega Seve, ehk, Kuidas ehitada maailma parimat puitmaja. Tallinn: Seve Ehituse AS, 2025, 126 lk.
Mata mu süda telemajja. Tallinn: Tänapäev, 2026, 312 lk. [Mälestused.]