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Piret Raud

Biography

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.

I illustrated other authors’ books for ten years, until one moment I decided to try my own hand at writing. I took part in a children’s manuscript competition and won. The manuscript became a book, which unexpectedly received very good reception. The path towards writing was opened. I truly enjoy my work. Room for goodness, for humour and happy endings can be found in children’s books. It is immensely revitalising and pleasant to spend a little bit of time every day in a friendly world of my own creation.

Profile photo: Piia Ruber

 

The Lake's Letter

Illustrator: Piret Raud
2023, 48 pp
ISBN: 9789916173459
picturebook, fiction

The Sea

Illustrator: Piret Raud
2021, 32 pp
ISBN: 9789949859689
picturebook, fiction

The Rooted Garden

Illustrator: Piret Raud
2020, 46 pp
ISBN: 9789949857098
fiction, picturebook

The Ear

Illustrator: Piret Raud
2019, 32 pp
ISBN: 9789949853908
fiction, picturebook

All My Relatives

Illustrator: Piret Raud
2017, 116 pp
ISBN: 9789949852314
fiction, storybook

Emma Loves Pink

Illustrator: Piret Raud
2015, 38 pp
ISBN: 9789949526925
fiction, picturebook

Rosie Wants to Fly

Illustrator: Piret Raud
2013, 32 pp
ISBN: 978994992772
fiction, picturebook

Three Wishes

Illustrator: Piret Raud
2012, 32 pp
ISBN: 9789949271948
fiction, picturebook

Emma Loves Pink

Illustrator: Piret Raud
2010, 56 pp
ISBN: 9789949449651
fiction, picturebook

Berts un otrā B

Original title: Tobias, Second Grade
Language: Latvian
Illustrator: Mārtinš Zutis
Translator: Maima Grīnberga
Liels un mazs
2013, 144 pp
ISBN: 9789984820583
fiction, storybook

Das Meer

Original title: The Sea
Language: German
Illustrator: Piret Raud
Translator: Gregory C. Zäch
Midas Collection
2021, 32 pp
ISBN: 9783038762010
picturebook, fiction

Das Ohr

Original title: The Ear
Language: German
Illustrator: Piret Raud
Translator: Gregory C. Zäch
Midas Collection
2020, 32 pp
ISBN: 9783038761563
fiction, picturebook

Emma kocha różowy!

Original title: Emma Loves Pink
Language: Polish
Illustrator: Piret Raud
Translator: Anna Michalczuk-Podlecki
Finebooks
2021, 35 pp
ISBN: 9788373504905
picturebook

More

Original title: The Sea
Language: Croatian
Illustrator: Piret Raud
Translator: Boris Vidović
Ibis grafika
2022, 29 pp
ISBN: 9789533630700
picturebook

Morje

Original title: The Sea
Language: Slovenian
Illustrator: Piret Raud
Translator: Julija Potrč Šavli
KUD Sodobnost International
2022, 32 pp
ISBN: 9789617132489
picturebook

The Ear

Original title: The Ear
Language: English
Illustrator: Piret Raud
Thames & Hudson
2019, 32 pp
ISBN: 9780500651636
fiction, picturebook

The Sea

Original title: The Sea
Language: English
Illustrator: Piret Raud
Thames & Hudson
2021, 32 pp
ISBN: 9780500652138
picturebook, fiction

Ucho

Original title: The Ear
Language: Polish
Illustrator: Piret Raud
Translator: Anna Michalczuk-Podlecki
Finebooks
2021, 32 pp
ISBN: 9788373505063
picturebook, fiction

Uho

Original title: The Ear
Language: Slovenian
Illustrator: Piret Raud
Translator: Julija Potrč Šavli
KUD Sodobnost International
2020, 29 pp
ISBN: 9789617047790
fiction, picturebook

Uho

Original title: The Ear
Language: Croatian
Illustrator: Piret Raud
Translator: Boris Vidović
Ibis grafika
2020, 32 pp
ISBN: 9789537997946
fiction, picturebook

Urechea ascultatoare

Original title: The Ear
Illustrator: Piret Raud
Editura Didactica Publishing House
2022, 32 pp
ISBN: 9786060485681
picturebook, fiction

Voglio tutto rosa

Original title: Emma Loves Pink
Language: Italian
Illustrator: Piret Raud
Translator: Daniele Monticelli
Sinnos
2014, 38 pp
ISBN: 9788876092862
fiction, picturebook

الأذن

Original title: The Ear
Illustrator: Piret Raud
Arab Scientific Publishers Inc.
2022, 31 pp
ISBN: 9786140135239
picturebook, fiction

うみ

Original title: The Sea
Illustrator: Piret Raud
Iwanami Shoten
2023, 32 pp
ISBN: 9784001127010
picturebook, fiction

みっつのねがい

Original title: Three Wishes
Illustrator: Piret Raud
Translator: Akie Maezawa
Fukuinkan Shoten Publishers
2012, 56 pp
ISBN: 9784834027020
fiction, picturebook

Original title: The Ear
Language: Korean
Illustrator: Piret Raud
Prooni Books
2021, 32 pp
ISBN: 9788961708319
picturebook, fiction
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)


2022
Friedebert Tuglas Short Story Award ("Pink"/"The Bench")

2021
Childrens', 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)

2019
Good Children’s Book (The Ear)

2018

Good Children’s Book (The Story of the Little House Who Wanted to Be a Home)

2017

Good Children’s Book (All My Relatives)

2014–2017 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award candidate

2016
Childrens', 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

2015
Annual 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)

2013
The White Ravens (Three Wishes)
"Järje Hoidja" Award of the Tallinn Central Library (Princesses with a Twist)

2012
IBBY Honour List (Princess Lulu and Mr. Bones)
Good Children’s Book (Slightly Silly Stories)

2011
Children and Young Adult Jury (Bērnu un jauniešu žūrija), Latvia, 1st place (Grades 3-4) (Princess Lulu and Mr. Bones)

2010
The White Ravens (Mister Bird’s Story)
Good Children’s Book (Tobias, Second Grade)

2009
Estonian Children’s Literature Centre Raisin of the Year Award (Mister Bird’s Story)
Good Children’s Book (Princess Lulu and Mr. Bones)

2008
Annual Children’s Literature Award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia (Princess Lulu and Mr. Bones)

2005
Annual Children’s Literature Award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia (Sanna and the Poachers)

2004

Children’s Story competition "My First Book", 1st place (Ernesto’s Rabbits)
2023 Good Children’s Book
2023 Nominee of the Annual Children's Literature Award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia
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 Müürsepp

28.11.2012