Kätlin Vainola

Poems

Short stories and novelettes

Kätlin Vainola (née Kõlamets, used the pseudonym Marie Myrk, born 30 September 1978) is an Estonian children’s writer.

Vainola was born in Tallinn. She spent the first years of her childhood in Kopli neighbourhood in Tallinn, after which the family moved to Põlva in South Estonia but soon returned to Tallinn where Vainola completed Pääsküla Gymnasium. In 2002, she graduated from Tallinn Pedagogical University as an Estonian philologist. During her university years, she belonged to the literary group TNT (Tallinna Noored Tegijad — Young Doers of Tallinn) together with Jürgen Rooste, Ivar Sild, Wimberg and others. In 2012, he studied creative writing at Drakadeemia creative writing school. Vainola has worked as a teacher and editor, compiled schoolbooks (primers, Estonian readers and workbooks). Since 2019, she has held the position of editor-in-chief of the children’s magazine Hea Laps. Her husband is rock musician and writer Allan Vainola. Kätlin Vainola has been a member of the Estonian Writers’ Union since 2014.

Vainola entered children’s literature in 2005 with the story Ville, which won the third place in the competition of children’s stories Minu esimene raamat (My First Book). Since then, she has written nearly 20 children’s books for both boys and girls, both older and younger, both fiction and, for example, on environmental topics. Her books have been translated into Finnish, German, Russian, Lithuanian, Italian and English.

In 2013, Vainola won the first place in the Knee-High Book Competition with the story Kus on armastus? (‘Where is love?’). In 2014, her story Lift (‘Lift’) was selected for the White Raven list of international children’s literature. Four times, her works have been selected for the list of the Good Children’s Book selection of Estonian children’s literature — 2009: Kelli — peaaegu haldjas (‘Kelli — Almost a Fairy’), 2011: Tiigielu aabits (‘The ABCs of Pond Life’), 2013: Lift (‘Lift’), 2014: Kus on armastus? (‘Where is Love?’).

In addition, Vainola has written lyrics for the rock groups Vennaskond and Sõpruse Puiestee and translated children’s books from foreign languages into Estonian.

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

Books in Estonian

Poems
Kätlin Vainola, Valner Valme, Villem Valme, Kristjan Kaugenõlva, Psaikobilli.
Tallinn: Ootav Rõdu, 2002, 124 lk.

Children’s literature
Ville. Tallinn: Tänapäev, 2006, 200 lk.
Mia, Konrad ja avanevad uksed. Tallinn: Tänapäev, 2008, 188 lk.
Kelli – peaaegu haldjas. Tallinn: Pegasus, 2008, 46 lk; [2. trükk, Tallinn: Pegasus, 2014, 48 lk].
Mudilane Mummu ja tema perekond. Tallinn: Oma Pere, 2009, 24 lk.
Metsaelu aabits. Tallinn: Menu, 2009, 64 lk.
Kätlin Vainola, Aleksei Turovski, Tiigielu aabits. Tallinn: Menu, 2011, 79 lk.
Suvevaheaeg koolis. Tallinn: Tallinna Keskraamatukogu, 2011, 64 lk.
Kätlin Vainola, Peep Männil, Karuelu aabits. Tallinn: Menu, 2012, 64 lk.
Missioon piim. Tallinn: Menu, 2012, 63 lk.
Kreete. Tallinn: Sotsiaalministeerium, 2012, 60 lk.
Lift. Tallinn: Pegasus, 2013, 30 lk.
Kelli hakkab piraadiks. Tallinn: Pegasus, 2014, 72 lk.
Kus on armastus?. Tallinn: Päike ja pilv, 2014, 32 lk.
Sonja ja kass. Tallinn: Pegasus, 2015, 48 lk.
Meie pere kala-aabits. Tallinn: Menu, 2017, 80 lk.
Poiss, kes joonistas kaarte. Tallinn: Pegasus, 2017, 48 lk.
Krips-Kraps, eesti laps. Tallinn: Eesti Instituut, 2017, 48 lk.
Nähh Pariisis. Tallinn: Päike ja Pilv, 2017, 64 lk.
Lood julgetest eesti tüdrukutest. Tallinn: Pegasus, 2018, 129 lk.
Minu Eesti seiklus. Tallinn: Päike ja pilv, Maxima, 2019, 65 lk.
Ellen, Eik ja kilekoti mõistatus. Tallinn: Menu, 2022, 48 lk.
Kass Kipperi mereseiklus. Tallinn: Eesti Meremuuseum, 2024, 40 lk.

Miscellaneous
Kätlin Vainola, Lemmit Kaplinski, Eesti slängi sõnaraamat. Tallinn: Aule, 2003, 272 lk.
Eesti keele õpik 2. klassile 2. osa. Tallinn: Avita, 2013, 184 lk.
Kätlin Vainola, Elina Sildre, Lugemik. 2. klass. II osa. Tallinn: Maurus, 2016, 144 lk.
Kätlin Vainola, Elina Sildre, Lugemik. 2. klass. I osa. Tallinn: Maurus, 2018, 112 lk.
Kätlin Vainola, Airi Kuusk, Pille Arnek, Eesti keele õpik 2. klassile. II osa. Tallinn: Avita, 2019, 160 lk.
Kätlin Vainola, Heli Prii, Elina Sildre, Kaja Kivisik, Eesti keele õpik 3. klassile. I osa. Tallinn: Maurus, 2019, 128 lk.
Kätlin Vainola, Heli Prii, Kaja Kivisik, Eesti keele õpik 3. klassile. II osa. Tallinn: Maurus, 2019, 144 lk.
Kätlin Vainola, Õnne Ints, Elina Sildre, Jutulinna aabits. Tallinn: Maurus, 2020, 138 lk; [2. trükk Tallinn: Maurus, 2021, 138 lk; 3. trükk, Tallinn: Maurus, 2022, 140 lk].