Elo Viiding

Elo Viiding (born 20 March 1974) is an Estonian poet.

Viiding is the third poet in her family. Her father, Juhan Viiding was a famous and influential poet in the 1970s. He was also an actor. Her paternal grandfather, Paul Viiding, was a member of Arbujad in the 1930s. Her maternal grandfather, Kaljo Kiisk, was an actor, film director and politician. Viiding's mother Riina was a music teacher.

Viiding, inspired by her father's career as an actor and her mother's love for music, graduated from school in 1999 as an actress. She studied violin.

Viiding debuted under a pseudonym ("Elo Vee") in 1991. She published four anthologies under her pseudonym. After her father's death in 1995, she began to publish her works under her real name.

Themes and Style

Viiding writes mainly about the oppressed. It is her opinion that every person is controlled and oppressed by someone else. She also uses her poetry to address what she sees as shortcomings in the Estonian educational system. She writes directly to her reader and her tone is extremely ironic. When her poetry is compared with that of other Estonian writers, it seems to be more masculine than feminine.

Published works:

collection of poetry "Telg" Kassett ´ 90 (publisher Eesti Raamat 1990),

collection of poetry „Laeka lähedus" (publisher Tuum 1993),

collection of poetry "Võlavalgel" (publisher Tuum 1995),

collection of prose "Ingelheim" (publisher Eesti Raamat 1995),

collection of poetry "V" (publisher Tuum 1998),

selection of poetry in Finnish "Paljastuksia" (translated by Katja Meriluoto, publisher Nihil Interit 2000),

„Kaardipakk“ (poetry with Karl Martin Sinijärv, Jürgen Rooste, Triin Soomets, Asko Künnap, published by Näo Kirik 2001),

collection of poetry "Esimene tahe" (publisher Tuum 2002),

collection of poetry "Teatud erandid" (publisher Tuum 2003),

...
Wikipedia