Ellen Niit
Ellen Niit (born Ellen Hiob; Ellen Niit since 1958) (13 July 1928 – 30 May 2016) was an Estonian children's writer, poet and translator. Over her lifetime, she penned more than forty books of both prose and poetry for children. She also wrote a number of collections of prose and poetry for adults.
Ellen Niit
Estonian Foreign Ministry · A bust of Ellen Niit was unveiled in Kiskőrös, the birthplace of Sándor Petőfi · CC BY 2.0
- Born
- 1928 · Tallinn.
- Died
- 2016 · Tallinn.
- Nationality
- Estonia
- Occupation
- translator · writer · poet
- Education
- University of Tartu
- Honours
- Order of the White Star and 3rd Class · Coat of Arms of Tallinn · Yearly prize of the Endowment of Literature by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia · Honored Writer of the Estonian SSR · Juhan Smuul literary award · Medal For Distinguished Labour
- Languages
- Estonian
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Documentary summary
Ellen Niit (born Ellen Hiob; Ellen Niit since 1958) (13 July 1928 – 30 May 2016) was an Estonian children's writer, poet and translator. Over her lifetime, she penned more than forty books of both prose and poetry for children. She also wrote a number of collections of prose and poetry for adults.
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Note VALÉORINE
Ellen Niit (1928–2016) was an Estonian author, poet and translator, among other activities. The author was born and died in Tallinn. Ellen Niit studied at University of Tartu.
Works include The Great Painter. Languages used include Estonian. The author received Coat of Arms of Tallinn, Honored Writer of the Estonian SSR and Juhan Smuul literary award, among others.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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- Identity
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Authority files
wikidata · Q432811 · wikipedia · Ellen Niit
In this article
Biography
Biography
Her works have been translated into eighteen languages.
Ellen Niit studied at University of Tartu. The recorded working language is Estonian. Distinctions recorded are Order of the White Star, 3rd Class, Coat of Arms of Tallinn, Yearly prize of the Endowment of Literature by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia and Honored Writer of the Estonian SSR.
Ellen Hiob was born in 1928 in Tallinn, Estonia. She attended school in Tapa and in Tallinn, and then graduated from the University of Tartu with a degree in Estonian philology in 1952. After working as a poetry consultant at the Writers' Union of Estonia from 1956 to 1961, she was forced to resign for ideological reasons. Afterward, Niit worked as an editor of children's television programmes, and in 1963 she became a freelance translator and writer. Hiob first married the folklorist and literary scholar Heldur Niit in 1949. They had one son, the noted psychologist Toomas Niit, in 1953. The couple divorced in 1958, and the same year she wed the writer Jaan Kross; their children are Maarja Undusk (born 1959), Eerik-Niiles Kross (born 1967), and Märten Kross (1970).
Prose
Prose
Pille-Riini lood (Pille-Riin's Stories), Eesti Riiklik Kirjastus 1963; Eesti Raamat 1971; Tiritam, 2003; TEA Kirjastus 2008, 2013; Tammerraamat 2013 Jutt jänesepojast, kes ei tahtnud magama jääda (The Story of the Bunny Who Didn't Want to Fall Asleep), Eesti Raamat 1967, 1970; Tiritamm 2007; Tammerraamat 2018 Triinu ja Taavi jutud (Stories about Triinu and Taavi), Eesti Raamat 1970 Triinu ja Taavi uued ja vanad lood (Triinu's and Taavi's New and Old Tales), Eesti Raamat 1977; TEA Kirjastus 2007, 2013, Tammerraamat 2017 Ott kosmoses (Ott's Adventures in Space), Perioodika 1979 Jänesepoja õhtu koos isaga (The Little Bunny's Night with Father), Perioodika 1982 Onu Ööbiku ööpäev (Mr. Nightingale's Twenty-Four Hours), Tiritamm 1998 Onu Ööbik Öösorri tänavast (Mr. Nightingale from Nightjar Street), Tammerraamat 2017
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1928
Ellen Niit was born in 1928 at Tallinn.
2016
Ellen Niit died in 2016 at Tallinn.
Poetry books
Kuidas leiti nääripuu (Finding the Christmas Tree), Eesti Riiklik Kirjastus 1954; Mixi kirjastus 2000; Tammerraamat 2013 Rongisõit (The Train Ride), Eesti Riiklik Kirjastus 1957; Tammerraamat, 2013 Karud saavad aru (The Bears Will Understand), Eesti Raamat 1967, 1971, 1972; Eesti Päevaleht 2010 Lahtiste uste päev (Open Door Day), Eesti Raamat 1970 Suur maalritöö (Colouring the World), Eesti Raamat 1971, 1985; Elmatar 2008; Tammerraamat 2015; A Film Eesti & Tammerraamat 2014 Midrimaa (Wonderland), Eesti Raamat 1974 Krõlli-raamat (The Book of Krõll), Eesti Raamat 1979 Oma olemine, turteltulemine (One's Own Beings and Comings), Eesti Raamat 1979 Filmikrõll (Nippet), Perioodika 1980 Suur suislepapuu (A Huge Apple Tree), Eesti Raamat 1983 Meil maal (At Our Farm), Eesti Raamat 1985 Tere, tere, lambatall! (Hello There, Little Lamb!), 1993 Kuidas Krõll tahtis põrandat pesta (How Krõll Tried to Mop the Floor), 1993 Krõlli pannkoogitegu (Krõll Makes Pancakes), Elmatar 1995 Ühel viivul vikervalgel (At a Rainbow-Light Moment), Tiritamm 1999 Kaelasall päkapikule (A Scarf for a Dwarf), Huma 2000 Veel ja veel. Krõlliga maal ja veel (More and More. On Land and Water with Krõll), Elmatar 2002 Taeva võti: luulet lastele 1954–2008 (The Key of Heaven), Tammerraamat 2012 Mänguvesi (Playing With Water), Tammerraamat 2013
Awards and honors
1971 Juhan Smuul Annual Prize of Literature (Open Door Day) 1977 Honored Writer of the Estonian SSR 1978 Juhan Smuul Annual Prize of Literature (Triinu ja Taavi uued ja vanad lood) 1994 Karl Eduard Sööt Children's Poetry Award (Hello There, Little Lamb!, How Krõll Tried to Mop the Floor) 1996 IBBY Honour List (Krõll Makes Pancakes) 1999 Annual Children's Literature Award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia (At a Rainbow-Light Moment) 1999 Order of the White Star, III Class 2005 Lifetime achievement award from the E. W. Ponkala Fund for furthering cultural relations between Finland, Estonia, and Hungary 2009 Estonian State Cultural Award 2010 Tallinn Coat of Arms Badge 2004–2009 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award candidate 2018 The White Ravens Archived 20 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine (Mr. Nightingale from Nightjar Street)
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q432811: Ellen NiitWikimedia Foundation
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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