Wimberg
Wimberg (real name Jaak Urmet, born 30 January 1979) is an Estonian writer and journalist.
Wimberg was born at Saku. He completed Lasnamäe Gymnasium in Tallinn in 1997. In 2004, he graduated from Tallinn Pedagogical University with a master’s degree in literary studies. From 1998–2000, he belonged to Tallinn young writers’ group Tallinna Noored Tegijad (TNT) and from 2000–2009 was a member of Tartu Young Authors’ Association. From 2001–2007, Wimberg worked as the editor of Arkaadia, the literary supplement to the newspaper Eesti Päevaleht. In 2006, he was one of the founders of the Jutulind publishing company and in 2007, he worked for a short time as an editor for the Tänapäev publishing company. From 2010, he has been a freelance writer, editor and scriptwriter. He has been a member of the Estonian Writers’ Union from 2007.
Wimberg has written prose, poetry and plays for children and adults, published reviews and essays mainly on literary themes, worked as a scriptwriter for children’s programmes of Estonian Television and translator of television serials, has been the co-author of several textbooks of the Estonian language.
Wimberg’s first attempts at prose and poetry were published in the youth newspaper Meie Meel in 1997–1998. The first poetry collection Maaaraamat (‘Country Book’) was autobiographical. In it, the author describes in idiosyncratic language the little person’s searches for himself in the company of kind grandparents in an idyllic collective farm atmosphere. The first half of the book includes rhythmically accented rhymed poetry; the second half consists of narrative free verses.
Wimberg’s novel Lipamäe deserved special mention at the novel competition of 2002 and received the Virumaa Literary Prize in the same year.
In 2009, Wimberg published the novel Eesti naise õnn (‘The Luck of an Estonian Woman’) under the pseudonym of Grete Márquez. The book ridicules Estonian women who travel abroad to seek happiness and a rich husband.
A peculiarity of Wimberg’s language is using double k, p, t in consonant clusters. So, the title of his second poetry collection is Kärppsed (‘Flies’, 2009), although it should be Kärbsed in grammatically correct Estonian. The writer explains, “Literature has to be in harmony with the truth of life, not always with the norm of literary language. Each writer has his own language.”
Under the name of Jaak Urmet, Wimberg has compiled the poetry anthology Pruut, kuningas ja muusapoeg: Eesti luule algus. Eestikeelne luule 1637–1721 transpoetiseerituna 21. sajandi kirjakeelde. (‘Bride, King and Son of Muse: Beginning of Estonian poetry. Estonian-language poetry 1637–1721 transpoeticised into 21st century literary language’, 2022).
L. P. (Translated by I. A.)
Books in Estonian
Novels
Lipamäe. Kaaruka küla [Järvamaa]: Varrak, 2002. 319 lk.
Grete Márquez, Eesti naise õnn: kuidas ma lahkusin Eestist ja läksin Hispaaniasse. Tallinn: J&U, 2009. 189 lk.
Poetry
Maaaraamat. Kaaruka küla [Järvamaa]: Huma, 2000. 85 lk.
Kärppsed: rõõmu sõnadest 2000–2006. Tallinn: Jutulind, 2006. 119 lk.
Eesti köökk: lühipoeem kolme söögipausiga. Tallinn: Ajakirjade Kirjastus, 2010. 79 lk.
Wabastatud wärsid: luuletusi aastaist 2006–2010. Tallinn: Pegasus, 2010. 139 lk.
Hõõguvad read. Tallinn: J&U, 2011. 145 lk.
Just praegu. Tallinn: J&U, 2021. 124 lk.
Children’s books
Buratino laulud: luuletusi ja laule ETV lastesaatest „Buratino tegutseb jälle“. Tallinn: Varrak, 2005. 101 lk.
Põngerjate laulud: luuletusi lastele ja suurtele. Tallinn: Varrak, 2006. 109 lk.
Härra Padakonn: kuus värssjutustust ühest toredast onust. Tallinn: Varrak, 2008. 50 lk.
Pille-Riin: kakskümmend üks lugu ühe tüdruku elust. Tallinn: Jutulind, 2009. 143 lk.
Suur pidusöök. Tallinn: Maalehe Raamat, 2009. 55 lk.
Buratino tegutseb jälle: viisteist valitud lugu [Eesti Televisiooni samanimelise saatesarja stsenaariumid]. Tallinn: Pegasus, 2010. 213 lk.
Kutsutud külaline. Tallinn: Pegasus, 2010. 168 lk.
Rokenroll: luuletused tarkadele lastele. Tallinn: TEA Kirjastus, 2011. 59 lk.
Ahoi! Luulet lastele. Tallinn: Postimees Grupp, 2016. 70 lk.
Pistol ja kuklid: laulud muusikalist „Karlsson katuselt“. Tallinn: TEA Kirjastus, 2016. 54 lk.
Kodused lood. Tallinn: TEA Kirjastus, 2017. 21 lk.
Salasõna: kümme juttu. Tallinn: Pegasus, 2017. 60 lk.
Sussi sisse: talve-, jõulu- ja lumeluulet. Tallinn: Rahva Raamat, 2019. 47 lk.
Books under the name of Jaak Urmet
Saarineni maja: sada aastat ajalugu 1912–2012. Tallinn: Baltek Arendus, 2013. 487 lk.
Vintpüss kõrval: valitud kirjandusloolisi artikleid. Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus, 2015. 432 lk.
Hurdast Pärnani. Tallinn: Post Factum, 2017. 244 lk.
Linn linnas: minu raamat Lasnamäest. Aastad 1980–2001. Tallinn: J&U, 2017. 365 lk.
Diskursus. Tallinn: Hea Lugu, 2018. 167 lk.
Andres, Pearu, Vargamäe: „Tõde ja õigus“ ja päriselu. Tallinn: Paradiis, 2019. 176 lk.
Pruut, kuningas ja muusapoeg. Eesti luule algus. Eestikeelne luule 1637–1721 transpoetiseerituna 21. sajandi kirjakeelde. Koostanud Jaak Urmet. Reval: EKSA, MMXXII [2022]. 286 lk.