Naisproosakirjanikud kultuuriloos ja tänapäeva eesti kultuuriteadvuses
Women prose writers in cultural history and contemporary Estonian cultural consciousness

Summary/Abstract: This article explores a number of factors that have shaped the understanding of the role of women prose writers in Estonian literary history and in contemporary cultural consciousness. Little attention has been paid to the works of women prose writers in literary history, and the cultural consciousness contains myths and stereotypes about women authors which upon closer examination prove unfounded. According to the common perception, women’s strong suit is poetry, whereas in the realm of prose, the creative output of male authors is afforded greater importance. This perspective has sometimes been used to justify the limited attention given to the works of women prose writers. However, the role of women prose writers in Estonian literary history can also be seen from a different angle by asking whether they should indeed be consigned to a more modest place in literary history compared to male authors and what the reasons for this might be. The creative output of women prose writers has highlighted themes and perspectives that do not always align with what is considered “important”, especially in the context of the national narrative, which emphasises the national subject and is implicitly male-oriented. The visibility of women authors in the cultural field is also shaped by the literary institution and its participants, as well as the literary canon, which has included few women. Geopolitical factors, i.e. different social systems, also influence the cultural consciousness. The Soviet period, in particular, shaped entrenched perceptions of authors through ideological pressure, the effects of which can still be felt. Since the works of women prose writers from the first half of the 20th century have not been extensively studied, the exploration of the reasons behind the marginalization of women prose writers remains largely ahead.

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