Elisabet "Betti" Alver ( – 19 June 1989), was one of Estonia's most notable poets. She was among the first generation to be educated in schools of an independent Estonia. She went to grammar school in

Tartu Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 97,759 (as of 2024). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of Riga, Latvia. Tartu lies on the Emajõgi river, which connects the ...

Writing

She began as a prose writer. She became known for being a member of the '' Arbujad'' ("Soothsayers"), a small group of influential Estonian poets including Bernard Kangro,

Uku Masing Uku Masing (born Hugo Albert Masing, 11 August 1909 – 25 April 1985) was an Estonian polymath who contributed to theology, oriental studies, philosophy, poetry, folklore and to the field of ethnology. He was a significant figure in Estonian rel ...

, Kersti Merilaas, Mart Raud, August Sang, Heiti Talvik and Paul Viiding. After the

war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...

her husband Heiti Talvik was imprisoned by the Soviets and died in Siberia. For two or three decades she was silent as a poet as protest of Soviet rule, but renewed activity in the 1960s. Of note in this second period is the 1966 collection ''Tähetund'' or "Starry Hour". She also wrote novels and did translation work. On the hundredth anniversary of her birth a museum was dedicated to her in

Jõgeva Jõgeva is a small town in Estonia with a population of around 5000 people. It is the capital of Jõgeva Parish and Jõgeva County. History Jõgeva was first mentioned in 1599 as ''Jagiwa'' manor, being established only recently on the lands ...

References

External links

Betti Alver at Estonian Writers' Online Dictionary
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alver, Betti 1906 births 1989 deaths People from Jõgeva People from Kreis Dorpat 20th-century Estonian novelists 20th-century Estonian poets Estonian women novelists Estonian women poets 20th-century Estonian women writers 20th-century Estonian translators Arbujad People's Writers of the Estonian SSR Honoured Writers of the Estonian SSR Burials at Raadi cemetery