{"id":887,"date":"2024-04-03T23:40:28","date_gmt":"2024-04-03T20:40:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/jaaks\/"},"modified":"2026-08-28T14:52:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T11:52:35","slug":"jaaks","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/j\/jaaks\/","title":{"rendered":"Piret Jaaks"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\n\t
\u00a0\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\tPiret Jaaks (born 5 August 1980) is a playwright and prose writer.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\tJaaks has completed Kohila Gymnasium and graduated from the speciality of theatre studies at the University of Tartu and passed doctoral studies at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre with the thesis Kirjutada inimesi: kogukondade uurimine ja dokumentaalteatri loomise vahendid dramaturgi t\u00f6\u00f6s<\/em> (\u2018Writing the People: Community Research and Tools for Documentary Theatre Creation in the Work of a Dramaturg\u2019, 2022). Jaaks is a member of the Estonian Writers\u2019 Union (from 2017), of the Estonian Directors\u2019 and Dramaturgs\u2019 Union and of the Tartu Young Authors\u2019 Association (Tartu NAK).<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a member of the Young Authors\u2019 Association, Jaaks published her prose pieces in the collections Emaj\u00f5e kondor<\/em> (\u2018Condor of the Emaj\u00f5gi River\u2019, 2002) and Tule, ma jutustan sulle loo<\/em> (\u2018Come, I\u2019ll Tell You a Story\u2019, 2008). The central place in the short prose collection Linnalegend<\/em> (\u2018Urban Legend\u2019, 2015, winner of the Betti Alver Debut Prize) belongs to the magical atmosphere of different cities with characters in different mental states.<\/span><\/span> Jaaks\u2019s first novel, Taeva t\u00fctred<\/em> (\u2018Daughters of Heaven\u2019, 2023), tells the story of Anna Hedwig B\u00fcll, a Baltic German missionary from Haapsalu, who finds herself working in the Ottoman Empire during World War I, where events unfold that history knows as the Armenian Genocide. B\u00fcll shows extraordinary determination and heroism, saving Armenian orphans and women in difficult situations from the violence of the Turks. The novel won 3rd place in the Writers\u2019 Union novel competition. Jaaks\u2019s third novel, P\u00e4ikeseuskujad<\/em> (\u2018Sun Believers\u2019, 2026), tells the story of two Estonian Swedish sisters, Maria and Ida, in the summer of 1812. The novel offers a panoramic overview of the past, folklore, traditions, and future of a small ethnic minority in difficult times, when Russian power is strengthening its grip even on the outskirts of the empire. The novel focuses on the bonds between generations, primarily through female characters, as is typical of Jaaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jaaks has won several prizes at the playwriting competitions of the Estonian Theatre Agency: the first prize for N\u00e4ha roosat elevanti<\/em> (\u2018To See a Pink Elephant\u2019, 2011), which deals with the problems of intimate relations, and Siirderiitujad<\/em> (\u2018Participants in Transition Rites\u2019, 2019), a play with a magical realist undertone, which observes coping with mourning. Jaaks also wrote the novel P\u00f5dravalgus<\/em> (\u2018Moose Light\u2019, 2024), based on this play. Sireenid<\/em> (\u2018Sirens\u2019) was awarded the second prize in 2017. Kas loomad oskavad loendada?<\/em> (\u2018Can Animals Count?\u2019) deserved honourable mention in 2019. A selection of her plays has been published in the collection Sireenid ja teisi n\u00e4idendeid<\/em> (\u2018Sirens and Other Plays\u2019, 2022). Samad s\u00f5nad, teine viis<\/em> (\u2018The Same Words, Another Tune\u2019, 2022) has also been published as a separate book. Drawing parallels with the present, it describes the sentiments and selections during the restoration of Estonia\u2019s independence through the eyes of female characters. As essential themes, it foregrounds the women\u2019s position in society, loneliness and isolation and mental problems.<\/span><\/span> The play Tumeaine<\/em> (\u2018Dark Matter\u2019, 2025) tells the story of a brother and sister\u2019s dark past secret and its impact on the present. Together with Tumeaine<\/em> is also published the documentary play about death, L\u00f5pp<\/em> (\u2018The End\u2019), which is based on interviews with soul keepers and the dying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among Jaaks\u2019 books for children, Emme draakon<\/em> (\u2018Mum\u2019s Dragon\u2019, 2019), has received the greatest attention. It looks at mother\u2019s and child\u2019s relations and harnessing of emotions through the eyes of a child. In 2020, it received the \u201cGood Children\u2019s Book\u201d badge of the Estonian Children\u2019s Literature Centre and was entered into \u201cThe White Ravens\u201d catalogue of the International Youth Library.<\/span><\/span> \u00d6\u00f6laps<\/em> (\u2018Night Child\u2019, 2024) helps children overcome their fears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\tJaaks is the dramaturge of several theatrical productions, one of the scriptwriters of the prize-winning television series EnsV<\/em> (\u2018Estonia, a Republic Now\u2019) on Estonian Television and has published articles in the press.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\tA. K. (Translated by I. A.)<\/em><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Books in Estonian<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Novels<\/strong><\/em>
Taeva t\u00fctred<\/strong><\/strong>. Tallinn: Varrak, 2023. 268 lk.
P\u00f5dravalgus<\/strong><\/strong>. Tallinn: FRAAS, 2024. 191 lk.
P\u00e4ikeseuskujad<\/strong><\/strong>. Tallinn: Varrak, 2026. 292 lk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\tShort prose<\/em><\/strong>
Linnalegend<\/strong>. Saarde, P\u00e4rnu: Jumalikud Ilmutused, 2015, 118 lk<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Children\u2019s books<\/em><\/strong>
Kadunud soki saladus<\/strong>. Tallinn: Varrak, 2017, 84 lk
Emme draakon<\/strong>. Saue: P\u00e4ike ja Pilv, 2019, 36 lk
H\u00e4rra Maru mustikapood<\/strong>. Tallinn: Varrak, 2022, 53 lk<\/span><\/span>
Suur saladus<\/strong><\/strong>. Saue: P\u00e4ike ja Pilv, 2024. 42 lk.
\u00d6\u00f6laps<\/strong><\/strong>. Tallinn: Pegasus, 2024. 36 lk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plays<\/em><\/strong>
Samad s\u00f5nad, teine viis<\/strong>. N\u00e4idendiraamat 37. Tallinn: Eesti Draamateater, 2022, 84 lk
Sireenid ja teisi n\u00e4idendeid<\/strong>. Tallinn, Kiideva: FRAAS, 2022, 329 lk<\/span><\/span>
Tumeaine<\/strong><\/strong>. Tallinn: Fraas, 2025. 159 lk. [Sisu: \u2018Tumeaine\u2019, \u2018L\u00f5pp\u2019.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\tDissertation<\/em><\/strong>
Kirjutada inimesi: kogukondade uurimine ja dokumentaalteatri loomise vahendid dramaturgi t\u00f6\u00f6s<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Muusika- ja Teatriakadeemia, 2023, 123 lk<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Short stories \u00a0 Piret Jaaks (born 5 August 1980) is a playwright and prose writer. Jaaks has completed Kohila Gymnasium and graduated from the speciality of theatre studies at the University of Tartu and passed doctoral studies at the Estonian …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":0,"parent":620,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-887","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=887"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/887\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11439,"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/887\/revisions\/11439"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/620"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}