Awards
2023
Good Children’s Book
(The Lake's Letter)
Nominee of the Annual Children's Literature Award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia (
The Lake's Letter)
2022Friedebert Tuglas Short Story Award ("Pink"/"The Bench")
2021Childrens', Young Adults' and Parents' Jury (Bērnu, jauniešu un vecāku žūrija), 4th place (age 9+), (
The Story of Sander, Muri, Eensy Mum, and the Invisible Aksel)
2019Good Children’s Book (
The Ear)
2018Good Children’s Book (
The Story of the Little House Who Wanted to Be a Home)
2017Good Children’s Book (
All My Relatives)
2014–2017 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award candidate
2016Childrens', Young Adults' and Parents' Jury (Bērnu, jauniešu un vecāku žūrija), 5th place (age 9+) (
Princesses with a Twist)Order of the White Star, IV Class
Hans Christian Andersen Award nominee
2015Annual Children’s Literature Award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia (
The Story of Sander, Muri, Eensy Mum, and the Invisible Aksel)
Good Children’s Book (
The Story of Sander, Muri, Eensy Mum, and the Invisible Aksel)
Lire ici et là (
Slightly Silly Stories)
2013The White Ravens (
Three Wishes)
"Järje Hoidja" Award of the Tallinn Central Library (
Princesses with a Twist)
2012IBBY Honour List (
Princess Lulu and Mr. Bones)
Good Children’s Book (
Slightly Silly Stories)
2011Children and Young Adult Jury (Bērnu un jauniešu žūrija), Latvia, 1st place (Grades 3-4) (
Princess Lulu and Mr. Bones)
2010The White Ravens (
Mister Bird’s Story)
Good Children’s Book (
Tobias, Second Grade)
2009Estonian Children’s Literature Centre Raisin of the Year Award (
Mister Bird’s Story)
Good Children’s Book (
Princess Lulu and Mr. Bones)
2008Annual Children’s Literature Award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia (
Princess Lulu and Mr. Bones)
2005Annual Children’s Literature Award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia (
Sanna and the Poachers)
2004Children’s Story competition "My First Book", 1st place (
Ernesto’s Rabbits)
Essay
Piret Raud (1971) is one of the most outstanding authors of modern-day Estonian children’s literature, both in terms of diversity and recognition. The author originates from a highly cultural background, which explains a thing or two: her mother Aino Pervik and father Eno Raud are some of the most renowned and loved fairy-tale authors in Estonian children’s literature. Taking account of Piret’s success foremost in book illustration, one is also reminded of her aunt on her father’s side – Anu Raud, who is a highly esteemed textile artist.
As such, several great talents hovered above Piret’s crib when she was born into this world in 1971. Studies at the Estonian Academy of Art gave her a master’s degree in graphic design. Piret appeared on the Estonian children’s literature scene in 1994 with illustrations for her mother’s Aino’s book
Keeruline lugu (
A Complicated Story), and her father Eno’s 1997 work
Kala kõnnib jala (
A Fish Takes a Walk).
By now, we can speak of Piret as a graphic designer for books, a writer, a journalist (she was an editor for children’s magazine
Täheke for some time), as well as an art teacher.
As an illustrator, Piret has received an enormous amount of praise both in Estonia and abroad. She has received awards such as certificates for the
25 Best Designed Estonian Books and 5 Best Designed Estonian Children’s Books; has participated in international exhibitions and competitions such as the Baltic States’ Book Art Competition, the Tallinn Illustration Triennial, and the Bologna Book Fair; has been awarded the Estonian National Library’s
Golden Book Award, as well as the Estonian Children’s Literature Center’s title of “Raisin of the Year” for Most Interesting Children’s Publication (
Härra Linnu lugu,
Mr. Bird’s Story, 2009). As Piret has been both a writer and an artist for several of her books, both of those aspects are also blended in a number of the honors she has received.
As a writer, Piret Raud has received the Annual Children’s Literature Award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia on three occasions: for her books
Sanna ja salakütid (
Sanna and the Poachers, 2005),
Printsess Luluu ja härra Kere (
Princess Lulu and Mr. Bones, 2008) and
Lugu Sandrist, Murist, tillukesest emmest ja nähtamatust Akslist (The Story of Sander, Muri, Eensy Mum, and the Invisible Aksel, 2015). Piret Raud has been put onto the IBBY Honour List as the writer of
Princess Lulu and Mr. Boney”.
In illustration work, Piret Raud’s style can be characterized via three types: while her earlier works were full-design picture surfaces, a picturesque and occasionally surreal background (
A Complicated Story) supporting on carefully-drawn details, the artist has moved forward in a laconic direction. A large number of children’s books have been published with only black-and-white illustrations, such as Ellen Niit’s poetry collection and her mother Aino Pervik’s series “Paula’s Life”. At the same time, those sometimes extremely small black-and-white pictures are drawn with an extremely sharp mind, masterfully, so that every detail is rich in meaning. The synergy of picture and text in the “Paula’s Life” series is characterized as a graphic mini-short-story, so significantly does the picture support and amplify the message of the text. In her current creative phase, Piret prefers to leave color pictures on a white background, allowing the drawing’s playfulness, humor, and fine grotesques to be brought out.
We see a dominance of fairy-tale-type stories in Piret’s writing, yet the true story
Tobias ja teine B (
Tobias, Second Grade) is also very important alongside that tendency. The miniature multimedia work
Emma roosad asjad (
Emma Loves Pink) is an utterly unique achievement. Piret Raud’s fantasy deals very clearly with contemporary real-life issues in fairy-tale form: with unemployment, homelessness, uncertainty, the power of money and corruption, etc. Why? The writer has replied: “I suppose that I think about those things myself, and they’re reflected in my books. But I do believe that one can talk to children about such things already at an early age. All of the news and life in the whole world reaches them in the same way as it does adults. So, it’s good if the side of goodness and justice is supported in a book somewhere.”
Even the miniscule fairy tale about Emma’s love for pink things is quite true to life: no matter that Emma only enjoys pink things – a green cabbage brought by her green frog friend changes her outlook!
Mare Müürsepp28.11.2012
Piret Raud (1971) is the most successful contemporary Estonian children’s writer and illustrator. She graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts in graphic arts, and initially set off on the same path. After trying her hand at writing, Raud has since become the most renowned and widely-translated children’s author in Estonia. She has written 21 titles (eight of which were commissioned by Japanese, French, and British publishers), has been translated into 20 different languages, and has illustrated more than 50 titles. Her writing has received spectacular recognition both at home and abroad. She was included on the 2012 IBBY Honour List as writer and in 2018 as illustrator; in the 2010 and 2013 White Ravens catalogue; and was awarded the Estonian Order of the White Star, IV Class in 2016.
