In the period of Soviet occupation, literature was under the control of the state authorities. Censorship was in force and writers had to cultivate the new official artistic method, socialist realism, in their works. Literature was an important means for the state authorities to ideologically influence society: writers were required to write about certain definite themes and to propagate the ruling ideology. For this reason, a great deal of attention was directed at the preparation of young authors who were just starting out in their careers as writers.

Young authors were brought together into the Estonian Soviet Writers’ Union (ESWU) in 1947 when the beginner writers’ section was formed as part of the union. To make work with young people more effective, it was decided in 1949 to found the Noorte Autorite Koondis (Young Authors’ Group, YAG), which in its first period of existence operated for a little more than three years (1949–1952). Over that period it organised ideological lectures for young authors, held discussion meetings, and offered young writers creative consultations with the aim of developing a new generation of writers who had mastered the skills of socialist realism and would thereby faithfully serve the Soviet regime.

The young authors in the YAG were divided into groups based on the genre that they worked in – poetry, drama, and prose.

The end of the 1950s can be considered the high point of the group’s activity. Meetings were held regularly, and many young writers had the chance to publish their work in newspapers, journals, and anthologies.

At the same time, throughout the period under consideration, young writers were criticised as being at a low literary and ideological level, for ignorance in describing Soviet life, and for passiveness in participation in the group’s activities. Thus, it is as if work plans were fulfilled but there was no substantial development according to the assessment of the leadership of the ESWU and the YAG.

In sum, it can hence be said that the objectives set for the YAG remained unfulfilled in its first period of operation. Both older writers, who were expected to give ideological and political lectures to young writers, and the young writers themselves, who often did not participate in the meetings that were organised for them, remained passive. Although the obligation to actively participate in the work of the group and to publish one’s works came with membership in the YAG, this largely remained a formality in reality. Young writers could write at their own pace and ask for consultations or attend lectures as they wished. Hence, alongside their other activities, participation in the group’s work was evidently not of primary importance for many of them.

Nevertheless, it cannot be said that the activity of YAG’s first period of operation failed completely. Many young people who were interested in writing  received training and gained experiences and acquaintances from the YAG. Many young writers who were among the members of YAG in 1949–1952 became recognised authors who earned their places in Estonian literary history.