"Reading the same thing brings people together," said Margit Oja, the organiser of and inspiration for Nordic Library Week in Tartu. And she knows whereof she speaks: Tartu City Library and Annelinna Library were two of the first to sign up for the week of activities. Many libraries around Estonia do their part in promoting the event's themes, making the November week of literature visible and giving it voice.
According to Krista Kumberg, a nominee for the Children's Librarian of the Year award, Nordic Library Week with its annual theme is a kind of focal point to which much more can be connected than simply promoting specific books.
The selection of Nordic troll books that has been available in Estonian to this point is not much to write home about. Most commonly encountered in such books are Icelandic trolls, while unearthly creatures are also found in fairytales from Norway and Lapland. Ancient Scandinavian lore also has beliefs, myths and legends involving the creatures.
Proving popular, as expected, during Nordic Library Week were the Moomin stories of Swedish-Finnish writer Tove Jansson. The author himself was a topic of much discussion, since August marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of the much-loved author, artist and narrator of fairytales.
The troll theme led to seven days of fun events all over the region: readings, discussions, games, drawings, troll-making, competitions and quizzes, fairytale mornings, exhibitions and literature cafés. This is how exciting events are created, how new traditions are formed and how age-old traditions are continued.
A library is far from being just a storage place for books – it has a function in memory. Library staff are often irreplaceable guides, advisers and intermediaries who believe in the power of words, and the power of an author's words on paper and when read aloud.
Many will still remember last year's meeting with writer Ulla-Lena Lundberg at Keila Library. Last year's theme was 'Winter in the North' and that night saw the author's novel Ice showcased, the Estonian translation of which had yet to be published. Lundberg enchanted everyone with her personality and reading to such an extent that after the meeting a long queue developed of those wishing to borrow her book.
Meetings involving the spoken word – whether they be readings, discussions or evenings with authors – have a special value all their own. Krista Kumberg says that if literature leaves somebody with a good impression, they will always find their way to books.
"There are certain things in life that are absolutely certain, like the tides and the seasons, and that the sun will rise in the morning," says Father Moomin with great conviction. "And that the light in lighthouses will always be shining." The lighthouse of Nordic literature – Nordic Library Week – will shine its light once again in a year's time, with new themes, new authors, new books and of course new events and new discoveries.
Eha Vain, Cultural Adviser with the Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Estonia. Põhjamaade Ministrite Nõukogu Eesti esinduse kultuurinõunik. This article was published in the Raamat newspaper of the Estonian Publishers Association on 20 November.