{"id":1085,"date":"2024-04-03T23:40:46","date_gmt":"2024-04-03T20:40:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/helganou\/"},"modified":"2025-10-15T12:13:47","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T09:13:47","slug":"helganou","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/n\/helganou\/","title":{"rendered":"Helga N\u00f5u"},"content":{"rendered":"

Novels<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/a>\"Helga<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short stories<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Helga N\u00f5u<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helga N\u00f5u (b. 22. IX 1934 in Tartu) is known above all as a refugee writer, one of the many writers in exile who managed to escape a Soviet-occupied Estonia. In September 1944, at just ten years old, she fled to Sweden with her brothers and parents and, within the first year of her escape, lived in several refugee camps. In 1957, she moved to Uppsala and married Enn N\u00f5u, also an exiled Estonian writer. They have three children: a son, Heino, and two daughters, Laine and Liia. In recent decades, the two have divided their life between Uppsala and Tallinn, alternating between both during the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helga N\u00f5u (born as Raukas) spent her childhood in Kohtla, Tallinn, and P\u00e4rnu. From 1942\u20131944, she went to the City of P\u00e4rnu\u2019s Primary School no 5. In Sweden, she studied at Ades\u00f6 Primary School, Herm\u00e5ds Correspondent Institute, and the S\u00f6dermalm Higher Girls\u2019 School in Stockholm. In 1957, she completed the Stockholm Teachers\u2019 Seminary and went to work at \u00d6rby School, where she taught for a year as a primary school teacher. Later she taught at Balingsta School, S\u00f6dra Hagundas, Uppsala Estonian Supplementary School, and Sunnersta School. Between 1977\u20131999, she taught at Eriksberg-Hogadal School and then afterwards retired.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She has been active in the community and contributed to several societies and committees, including the Estonian Society in Uppsala, the Estonian Committee, the Swedish Representation of Estonians, the Swedish Teachers\u2019 Union, the Estonian Club in Uppsala, the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church in Uppsala, the Estonian Writers\u2019 Union Abroad, the Baltic Institute, and the Estonian Writers\u2019 Cooperative. She is also a member of the Estonian Writers\u2019 Union, the Estonian PEN Club, and the Estonian Literary Society. She has given lectures at the Forest University (Metsa\u00fclikool) in Canada and Sweden, as well as given seminars for Estonian teachers. She has participated in the distribution of the publications Tulehoidja<\/em> (\u2018Keeper of Fire\u2019) and Eesti Kroonika<\/em> (\u2018Estonian Chonicle\u2019). Additionally, she has appeared together with her husband at many Estonian libraries and schools. Between 1979\u20131983 and 1988\u20131993, she reviewed manuscripts about Estonian literature for the Swedish National Council of Culture, and from 1983\u20131988 acted as a member of the Commision for Supporting Immigrant and Minority Literatures.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helga N\u00f5u has been actively writing since the early 1960s with the publication of her short stories in \u201cMana\u201d and \u201cTulimuld\u201d. Her works include short stories, novels and plays, she has written for children and adults. Her debut novel Kass s\u00f6\u00f6b rohtu <\/em>(\u2018The Cat Eats Grass\u2019, 1965) described the insecurities of Estonian students living in Sweden and the sentimental identity crisis of the older generation of Estonians. It received some disapproval of the more conservative circles of the Estonian exiles. \u00a0Helga N\u00f5u is considered a modernist writer; her pedagogical and psychological books are socially sensitive, investigate the evolution and development of an individual and closely describe changing times. Her earlier pieces often dealt with the problems of refugees, world order, relations between native and exiled Estonians and conflicts between generations. The majority of Helga N\u00f5u\u2019s work first appeared in Sweden, not arriving to Estonian readers for several decades.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She has translated the work of Astrid Lindgren and Kerstin Thorvall into Estonian. Her own work has been translated into Finnish, Swedish, Latvian, and Russian, and has also been issued in audio book format. Her play P\u00f5genejad<\/em> (\u2018Escapees\u2019, 1990) was staged at Rakvere Theatre and produced as a radio drama a year later. In addition to writing, she has also partaken in the arts, illustrating both her own work as well as writings by others. Her paintings and other works of art have been organized in exhibitions in both Estonia and Sweden.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She has received the Society of Estonian Culture Award (Eesti Kultuuri Koondis) in 1968, the Henrik Visnapuu Prize for Literature (1971, for the novel Tiiger, tiiger<\/em> \u2013 \u2018Tiger, Tiger\u2019), the young adult literature prize called Lauri (1983), the award of the Office of Estonians in Sweden (1983), the awards of Virumaa Fund and Rakvere Theatre (1990), the Order of the White Star, 5th class (2001), a letter of appreciation and a birthday award from the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Estonia (2014 and 2019), the Elise Rosalie Aun V\u00f5tikvere Book Village Literary Award (2019, for the novel Ingel ja idioot<\/em> \u2013 \u2018The Angel and the Idiot\u2019), the Lifetime Achievement Award for literature from the Estonian Literature Endowment (2019), and a congratulatory and honorary letter from the President of the Republic of Estonia, Alar Karis, on the occasion of her 90th birthday (2024).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

M. K. (Translated by M. M.)<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n


Books in Estonian<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Novels<\/em><\/strong>
Kass s\u00f6\u00f6b rohtu<\/strong>. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1965, 278 lk. [2. tr\u00fckk: Tallinn: \u00d5llu, 1991, 192 lk.]
Tiiger, tiiger<\/strong>. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1969, 244 lk. [2. tr\u00fckk: Tallinn: Eesti Tr\u00fckit\u00f6\u00f6stus, 1990, 208 lk.]
Paha poiss<\/strong>. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1973, 214 lk. [2. tr\u00fckk: Tallinn: \u00d5llu, 1990, 160 lk.]
Inimvaresed<\/strong>. Stockholm: V\u00e4lis-Eesti & EMP, 1993, 240 lk. [2. tr\u00fckk: Tallinn: \u00d5llu, 1995, 208 lk.]
Hundi silmas<\/strong>. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 1999, 239 lk.
Ood lastud rebasele<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus, 2006, 231 lk.
Peaaegu geenius ehk Schr\u00f6dingeri kassi otsimas<\/strong>. Tartu: Atlex, 2008, 240 lk.
Mahaj\u00e4tjad<\/strong>. Tallinn: T\u00e4nap\u00e4ev, 2013, 284 lk.
Nartsiss, meeste\u00f5gija<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus, 2016, 366 lk.
<\/span><\/span>Ingel ja idioot<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus, 2019, 234 lk.
Salahobune<\/strong>. Tallinn: EKSA, 2025, 253 lk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short stories<\/em><\/strong>
Kord kolmap\u00e4eval<\/strong>. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1967, 270 lk. [2. tr\u00fckk: Tallinn: \u00d5llu, 1993, 224 lk.]<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Children\u2019s and young adult books<\/em><\/strong><\/span>
Ruuduline r\u00f6\u00f6vel<\/strong>. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1965, 70 lk. [2. tr\u00fckk: Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1990, 64 lk.]<\/span>
Oi-oi-oi, mis juhtus!<\/strong>. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1967, 32 lk.<\/span>
Pea suu!<\/strong>. Stockholm: V\u00e4lis-Eesti & EMP, 1983, 182 lk. [2. tr\u00fckk: Tallinn: \u00d5llu, 1994, 127 lk; 3. tr\u00fckk: Pea suu! T\u00f5mba uttu!. Tallinn: T\u00e4nap\u00e4ev, 2003 ja 2004, 274 lk; 4. tr\u00fckk: Pea suu! T\u00f5mba uttu!. Tallinn: Eesti Ajalehed, 2011, 216 lk. 5. tr\u00fckk: e-raamat: Pea suu! T\u00f5mba uttu!. Tallinn: Hea Lugu: Eesti Digiraamatute Keskus, 2014.]<\/span>
T\u00f5mba uttu!<\/strong>. Tallinn: Kupar, 2001, 206 lk. [2. tr\u00fckk: Pea suu! T\u00f5mba uttu!. Tallinn: T\u00e4nap\u00e4ev, 2003 ja 2004, 274 lk; 3. tr\u00fckk: Pea suu! T\u00f5mba uttu!. Tallinn: Eesti Ajalehed, 2011, 216 lk. 4. tr\u00fckk: e-raamat:\u00a0Pea suu! T\u00f5mba uttu!. Tallinn: Hea Lugu: Eesti Digiraamatute Keskus, 2014.]
Kuues s\u00f5rm<\/strong>. Tallinn: T\u00e4nap\u00e4ev, 2003, 167 lk. [2. tr\u00fckk: Tallinn: Maurus, 2011, 168 lk; 3. tr\u00fckk: Tallinn: Maurus, Eesti Digiraamatute Keskus,\u00a02011;\u00a0Audioraamat: V\u00f5ru: Pimedate Info\u00fching Helikiri, 2003, 1 CD, 4 t 45 min.]
Appi!<\/strong>. Tartu: Atlex, 2008, 264 lk. [Audioraamat: loeb Kristin J\u00fcrgenson. Tallinn: Eesti Pimedate Raamatukogu, 2009, 1 CD, 8 t 29 min.]
J\u00e4\u00e4auku<\/strong>. Tartu: Atlex, 2010, 244 lk.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
Sim-sala Harri<\/strong>. Tallinn: Hea Lugu, 2020, 158 lk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Correspondence<\/em><\/strong>
Helga ja Enn N\u00f5u,\u00a0Need meie v\u00e4ga vanad armastuskirjad. 1956-1958<\/strong>. Tallinn: EKSA, 2025, 477 lk.
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