This week World Kid Lit Contributor Paula Holmes shares with us details of her trip to visit the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre in Tallinn and an interview with its Director of Foreign Relations, Ulla Saar.

by Paula Holmes

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I was lucky to attend a virtual chat put on by Emma Press with the Director of Foreign Relations for the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre, Ulla Saar. Ulla is also an illustrator. Ulla’s description of the Centre’s building being straight out of a fairytale and of unique books that were coming out of Estonia since they regained independence, put Tallinn, Estonia on my adventures list. The chat also created quite a few #EstonianKidLit purchases and the making of Estonian minced meat sauce.* This May, I travelled to Helsinki, Finland and took the ferry across the Baltic Sea to visit Ulla in old Tallinn in a magical yellow villa by the medieval tower called Fat Margaret. If you haven’t read #estoniankidlit now is a perfect time.  

Paula Holmes: Can you describe the center, who it serves, and how each floor highlights different projects and programming?  

Ulla Saar: Certainly! Through our lovely and creative building and the activities held here, we convey to visitors the story of children’s books from past to present, guide children towards reading and teach individuals to appreciate literature, illustration, and books. The Centre collects, preserves, and offers the opportunity to engage with children’s and YA literature for all enthusiasts as part of Estonia’s cultural heritage. Our mission is to support a variety of initiatives, including research, education, and entertainment. In a way, we are in a constant state of development, always trying to find the best ways of reaching children and adults, keeping up with contemporary literature and illustration and children’s interests accordingly. The centre is spread out on three floors, all open to the public, from library to activity rooms and story attic, every inch of our house is dedicated to promoting reading and books. 

Is there anything else happening at the Centre that should be part of a greater #WorldKidLit discussion?

The Estonian Children’s Literature Centre really is a centre of Estonian kidlit. We work all over Estonia, collaborating and supporting our wonderful library network. Since 2019, we have been running a reading program called The Hunger for Reading (Lugemisisu). The purpose of the reading program is to encourage children aged 5-13 to read by providing additional fun activities and to help librarians keep up to date with the contemporary quality children’s literature. 

Since 1997, every year on the 20^th of October we hold a Read Aloud Day (Ettelugemise päev). We celebrate with actors reading Estonian children’s literature live and illustrators illustrating simultaneously. That session is broadcast all over Estonia so even the tiniest of schools can participate.

In 2025, Estonia will be the Guest of Honour at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair and the Centre has a big role to play in that. We are happy to be able to highlight the diversity of our children’s book illustration and our strong tradition of stories. 

At WKL we often highlight titles seeking a publisher and translation funding opportunities. Do you have a few titles that might be seeking a UK/US publisher, and can you share information on the Traducta grant program?

With pleasure. I think our children’s literature stands on strong legs. We have diverse and interesting topics with the mental health and ecology being two current trends. Below are some two recent picture books and three books for older readers that have yet to be published in English.

Estonia has a government funded grant program called Traducta. It has two grant opportunities: one for translators (covers up to the full amount of the translation costs) and one for foreign publishers to help cover the production costs (up to 2,000 €).

Before you go, are there any great new Estonian books for children and young adults coming out in (English) translation soon that you’d like to share with us?

Joonas Sildre’s graphic novel about Arvo Pärt, Between Two Sounds translated by Adam Cullen is going to be published by Plough in September 2024

Triinu Laan’s and Marja-Liisa Plats’ John the Skeleton translated by Adam Cullen is going to be published by Yonder in October 2024

Thank you, Ulla!

If you are going to Tallinn to visit Eesti Lasterkijanduse Keskus (Estonian Children’s Literature Centre), here are a few restaurants I can highly recommend in Old Tallinn:

Coffee/Breakfast: Kohvik Must Puudel (The Black Poodle) Kuninga 4 

Lunch: Restaurant Pegasus Harju 1

Dinner: Rataskaevu 16 (it is an uphill walk with steep stairs, not recommended to anyone with mobility issues)

*Minced meat sauce described on page 85 of Everyone’s the Smartest by Contra & Ulla Saar published by The Emma Press translated by Charlotte Geater, Kätlin Kaldmaa & Richard O’Brien

Paula Holmes has served in a variety of volunteer capacities for the Association for Library Service to Children (a division of the American Library Association), USBBY (The United States Board on Books for Young People) and currently as a University of Alabama MLIS National Advisory Board Member and Consultant. Paula is known to create tiny collage art, support translations of children’s literature, practice ballet, and is on a quest to learn Finnish.