Arne Merilai
Arne Merilai is an Estonian literary scholar, poet and novelist. He is Professor of Estonian Literature at the University of Tartu and holds the university's professorship of national significance in Estonian literature.
Early life and education
Merilai was born in Kohtla-Järve and attended Kehra Secondary School. He studied Estonian philology at Tartu State University, graduating in 1984, and defended a кандидат/cand. degree thesis on the Estonian ballad in 1990.Academic career
After working as a teacher, Merilai held research and teaching positions at the University of Tartu and in Estonian research institutions, including the Institute of Estonian Language and Literature. He was elected Professor of Estonian Literature at the University of Tartu in 2011 and became a national professor in Estonian literature in 2012.Merilai has been associated with the Estonian Writers’ Online Dictionary, where he serves as an editor-in-chief.
Research
Merilai's research addresses poetics and literary theory, including his work on “pragmapoetics”. His inaugural lecture at the University of Tartu presented a philosophical account of poetic language and introduced key elements of this approach to a broader audience.Literary work
In addition to scholarship and criticism, Merilai has published poetry and fiction, including the novels Türann Oidipus and Puuinimesed.Political activity
In the 2023 Estonian parliamentary election, Merilai stood as a candidate for Erakond Parempoolsed in Electoral District No. 10 and received 114 votes.Awards and honours
- 2003 – Annual prize of the Literature Endowment of the Estonian Cultural Endowment, for an afterword to the anthology Eesti ballaad.
- 2011 – University of Tartu decoration.
- 2022 – University of Tartu medal.
Selected works
Scholarship and criticism (selection)
- Merilai, Arne. Eesti ballaad 1900–1940. Tartu: University of Tartu, 1991.
- Merilai, Arne. Pragmapoeetika: kahe konteksti teooria. Tartu: Tartu Ülikooli Kirjastus, 2003.
- Merilai, Arne. Estonian pragmapoetics, from poetry and fiction to philosophy and genetics. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2023.