Sirje Olesk

Sirje Olesk (née Mägar; born 24 August 1954) is an Estonian literary scholar and critic. She held several research management roles at the Estonian Literary Museum from 1980 to 1997, later serving as a senior researcher at the institution.

Early life and education Olesk was born in Kohtla-Järve and raised in Jõhvi. She studied Estonian language and literature at the University of Tartu (then Tartu State University), graduating cum laude in 1977. In 1989, she defended her Candidate of Philological Sciences thesis, titled Luuleteoreetilise mõtte areng Eestis 1878–1917 (The Development of Theoretical Thought on Poetry in Estonia 1878–1917).

Research and editorial work Olesk's scholarship focuses on Estonian poetry and poetic theory, the "Finnish Bridge" (Soome sild) of cultural relations between Estonia and Finland, and the institutional history of literature in the Estonian SSR.

Awards and honours 1994: Annual Prize of the Estonian Cultural Foundation 1996: E. W. Ponkala Award (Finland) 2000: Order of the White Star, 3rd Class (Estonia) 2006: Aino Kallas Award (Finland) 2023: Annual Literature Prize of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia

Personal life Olesk was married to the literary scholar and politician Peeter Olesk (1953–2021).

Selected bibliography Eesti kirjanduslugu (History of Estonian Literature). Co-author. Tallinn: Koolibri, 2001. Tõdede vankuval müüril: artikleid ajast ja luulest. Tartu: Eesti Kirjandusmuuseum, 2002. Aegade lugu: kirjanike liit Eesti NSVs. Tallinn: Eesti Kirjanike Liit, 2022.