Juhan Saar
Juhan Saar (22. XII 1929 – 28. VIII 2007) was a poet and prose writer.
His childhood and adolescence were spent in Laeva parish in Tartu county. After gaining his primary education he attended the Tartu Electromechanical School. After serving time in the army from 1950 to 1953 he began work as a journalist on the children’s paper Säde, and thereafter worked in radio and television, as well as on the humour journal Pikker. He was an official at the Ministry of Culture and the dramaturge of the Puppet Theatre. Saar’s path into literature passed through the Young Authors’ Associacion. Some time later he devoted himself to organizational work as director and artistic manager of the Literature Propaganda Bureau. In the early phase of the restoration of Estonia’s independence, in 1990, he was one of the founders of the Faatum publishing house, where he was active as editor-in-chief until the end of his days.
Juhan Saar’s poems are lyrical, but he has also written satire. His verse has simple form and it expresses a sharp-witted sub-text typical of its time. Apart from poetry he has cultivated short prose for both children and adults. He has also written song lyrics for musical theatre.
L. P. (Translated by C. M.)
Books in Estonian
Poems
Kured ja laevad: luuletusi 1952–1964. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1966, 87 lk.
Õnnelik mees. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1977, 63 lk.
Seitsmenda päeva saar: luuletusi ja lugusid läbi kolme aastakümne, 1956–1986. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1989, 158 lk.
Elu ikka ühekordne: seitsekümmend valitud luuletust iseendale ja sõpradele rõõmuks ning lohutuseks. Tallinn: Faatum, 1999, 89 lk.
Prose
Värviline mõte: lugusid ja laaste. Tallinn: Ajalehtede-Ajakirjade Kirjastus, 1963, 96 lk.
Metsa taga ei ole mets: jutustus. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1964, 83 lk.
Õhtujutud. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1966, 60 lk.
Mäng: jutustus. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1973, 64 lk.
Metsa taga ei ole mets: hommikujutud. Tallinn: Faatum, 2007, 128 lk.
Plays
Valge tee kutse ja teisi lavatekste 1980–2005. Tallinn: Faatum, 2008, 399 lk.
Memoirs
Valus naer: memuaarid. Tallinn: Faatum, 2005, 323 lk.