Andra Teede and Ave Taavet

Andra Teede (1988) is an Estonian poet, prose writer, dramatist and screenwriter. Literally versatile, Teede debuted in 2006 with a collection of poems entitled Takso Tallinna taevas. In total, she has published nine collections of poetry. However, the wider Estonian audience knows her first and foremost as the long-time scriptwriter for the beloved TV series Õnne 13. Teede has won her most substantial acclaim as a playwright – especially with plays that intertwine the stories of ordinary people and life in Estonia. Last year also marks her diverse skills, as she published his first novel, Kateriin ja kurjad onud. This book intertwines autobiography and flights of fancy: the title character of the book is the author’s peer, who, after the start of Russian aggression, finds herself in financial difficulties and begins to extort money from her girlfriend’s violent ex-husband, who is trying to break into politics. Such a framework gives the Teede the opportunity to address the pressing issues of today ranging from family and career models and economic survival to the social position and self-perception of women.

Ave Taavet (1988) is an Estonian animator, writer and cartoonist. For some time now, Taavet has been drawing contemporary cartoons for the Vikerkaar magazine, the best of which is compiled together with stories inspired by illustrations in the book Karikaturisti eine (2020), and she has also illustrated books by other authors. Taavet has already established herself in the Estonian short story literature of the 2020s. Her debut collection of short stories Valerahategija was published in 2020, and last year saw the publication of Taavet’s third book, as well as the collection of short stories Kasukas. Taavet’s stories are clearly inspired by Estonian life, our recent history and/or everyday bustling, but they find humorous, often magical-realist solutions to this bustling, with glimpses of her skill to translate the fragmented logic of Estonian animation into the art of words. Taavet loves the mischievous, sharp but warm absurdity; for her, the short story is a game where you cannot lose – or, even if you can, the loss never causes sadness.