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The Book Club

From the left: Kadi Käis. Reet Marley, Inga Eichenbaum, Mai-Liis Toome, Anne Kõrresaar Altosaar, Tiina Lehesalu, Ann Elb Caden, Kaja Telmet, Mai Marks, Reet Oolup, Maiki Andre Lupp, Koidula Aedna. Photo by Taavi Tamtik (2015)

The Book Club was formed at Tartu College in the fall of 2010 with the mandate of reading English translations of Estonian literature, works written in English by Estonian authors or books relating to the Estonian diaspora. The Book Club has met to discuss thirty books over the past five years. We meet monthly at Tartu College on Thursday nights during the academic year. There have been up to twenty five members in the Book Club with some attending regularly while others come when they can. There are generally about eleven members present for the discussions led by the founder and organizer of the Book Club, Kaja Telmet.

The decision to read books in English was a realistic acknowledgement of the fact that our members were born outside Estonia and are more fluent in English than in Estonian. When appropriate, some members chose to read the books in Estonian. The Book Club exposes us to Estonian authors and literature as well as to Estonian history as it is reflected in many of the works we have read. The first selections (Purge by Sofi Oksanen, Symbol of Dawn by Madli Puhvel, and The Czar's Madman by Jaan Kross) are indicative of the wide scope we have covered.

Finding appropriate books to read has been a challenge. Although there are many excellent translations of Estonian works, they are often out of print or in limited supply. This has narrowed the choices we have in Estonian literature. The Estonian Studies Centre Lending Library has been a good source for many of the books we have read. There is also a wide range of literature in English which deals with issues such as deportation to Siberia, the displaced person experience and making a life in a new land. We have read novels by Latvian and Lithuanian authors that parallel the Estonian experience. As well, we have read books by Russian authors to try to better understand Estonia's looming neighbour to the East. Our choices are often inspired by the Estonian Studies Centre lecture series so that when guests such as Elin Toona Gottschalk, Kristina Ehin or Edward Lucas are scheduled, our group has already read some of their work. Conversely, sometimes we have read authors such as Antanas Sileika and have encouraged the Estonian Studies Centre to invite them to speak. Other local authors whose works we have read are Erik Purje, Urve Tamberg, and Andres and Aili McConnon with Ms. Tamberg visiting the club for a lively discussion about her book.

It has been a fascinating five years of reading. All of us feel that we have significantly increased our knowledge of Estonian literature as well as history. We hope that more Estonian works such as Kalevipoeg (Yes, we even read excerpts of that!) are translated into English so that we have additional choices in the years ahead. As well, we hope that a younger generation of Estonian readers will follow our lead and form their own book club. We have books to contribute or lend to such an endeavour.

Kaja Telmet


I am the newest member of the TC book club. I was very warmly welcomed. We had a very lively discussion of short stories by Friedebert Tuglas. The group members would like to see more Estonian books translated. These books could be more easily read by the younger generation as well. Starting in the fall this section of the paper will see regular reviews of books we have read and are currently reading.

Maiki Andre