Albert Kivikas was born in Suure-Jaani (Groß-St. Johannis), Livonia, which at the time was part of the Russian Empire.

In his youth he published some of his works under the names A. Pedajas and Mart Karus.

After the Estonian War of Independence, in which he participated as a volunteer, Kivikas became one of the few writers in Estonia to experiment with futurism.

However, his best works are novels and short stories dealing with war and social problems in the rural environment.

In spring 1944, Kivikas went into exile in Finland and from there in autumn 1944 on to Sweden, where he remained until his death in Lund.