Karl Ast was an Estonian writer and politician.

Life

Karl Ast attended at the renowned Hugo Treffner Gymnasium

Hugo Treffner Gymnasium

The Hugo Treffner Gymnasium is a secondary school in Tartu, Estonia with special emphasis on science education. Founded by Hugo Treffner, it was the only large secondary school in the 19th century Estonia with dominantly Estonian students and no age restrictions...

 in Tartu

Tartu

Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the...

. Ast supported the Russian Revolution of 1905

Russian Revolution of 1905

The 1905 Russian Revolution was a wave of mass political and social unrest that spread through vast areas of the Russian Empire. Some of it was directed against the government, while some was undirected. It included worker strikes, peasant unrest, and military mutinies...

 and was imprisoned in Riga

Riga

Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...

 for a period from 1907 to 1910 as a result of his criticism of the authoritarian regime of the Tsar

Tsar

Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...

. He participated in the First World War in the Russian Imperial Army.

With the attainment of independence of the Republic of Estonia, Karl Ast entered politics. He was a member of the Estonian Constituent Assembly

Estonian Constituent Assembly

The Estonian Constituent Assembly was elected on 5-7 April 1919, called by the Estonian Provisional Government during the Estonian War of Independence. The Assembly was elected by proportional representation. Eligible voters included soldiers at the front...

 in 1919. From 1919 to 1933 he was a member of the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu

Riigikogu

The Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...

). Between 1933 and 1939 he traveled the world (including the capitals of Europe, North Africa, India, Japan, China) and had written numerous travel accounts and reports. In 1939 he was Estonian press attaché in Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

.

During the Second World War, Karl Ast emigrated from Europe, settling in Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

, then in Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 and eventually in the U.S. He served with the Estonian government in exile

Estonian Government in Exile

The Estonian Government in Exile refers to the formally declared governmental authority of the Republic of Estonia in exile, existing from 1953 until the reestablishment of Estonian sovereignty over Estonian territory in 1992...

 until 1959.

Literary work

Karl Ast's literary debut came in 1911, shortly after his release from Tzarist imprisonment with the short story collection Sääsed tormis (The mosquitoes in the storm). In 1923/24 he was chairman of the Estonian Writers' Union

Estonian Writers' Union

The Estonian Writers Union , is a professional association of Estonian writers and literary critics.-History:...

. In addition to numerous short stories he wrote a novel (Krutsifiks, 1960), two volumes of memoirs and numerous travel books. His short stories made him one of the most popular exile writers of his time.

Main works

• Sääsed tormis (1911, short stories and sketches)
• Lumiste kõrguste poole (1913, prose poem)
• Tuled sügis-öös (1913, short stories)
• Tiibuse Jaagu kojutulek: traagikomöödia 1 vaatuses (1920, under the pseudonym Kaarlo Orawa)
• Siiruviiruline: novellid ja vested (1921, short stories)
• Mürgine vili. Sõja ja revolutsiooni novellid (1926, short stories)
• Sammud kaduvikku (1928, short stories)
• Valge naine: romantiline draama kolmes vaatuses (1928, romantic drama)
• Kui Saara naerab (1929, erotic short stories)
• Palava päikese ja fanaatilise usu maal: reisukirjad Tseilonist ja Indiast (1930/31, travel reports)
• Allah ja ta rahvas: tähelepanekuid ja elamusi Marokos (1936, travelogue)
• Kahe tule vahel (1943, a political treatise)
• Uned ja mured (1953, short stories)
• Kuldlind (1959, short stories)
• Krutsifiks. Jutustus inimhingede põuast ja põlemisest (1960, novel)
• Tuuleviiul (1962, short stories)
• Aegade sadestus (1963-65, memories, 2 volumes)
• Liivakella all (1971, short stories)
• Peeglite vahel (1991, short stories)
• Põlevad laevad (1995, story)
• Maailma lõpus (2007, essays, edited by Hando Runnel)