Playwrights

Jaan Kruusvall was a writer whose minimalist, ironic-grotesque works were characterised by fragmented plots, as well as neutral and detached characters. Between 1966 and 1971, Kruusvall studied at the Maksim Gorky Institute of Literature in Moscow and then worked at Tallinnfilm. Later he worked as a prose editor for the magazine Looming, as an editor for the newspaper Maaleht and wrote for the newspaper Sirp ja Vasar. His works are generally written in short forms, depicting lonely people whose lives are plagued by constant emptiness and gloom.

Recognition:

2011 Cultural Endowment of Estonia, annual literature endowment award Sounds of the Plains (“Tasandikkude helinad“)

2001  Cultural Endowment of Estonia, annual literature endowment award for The Mad Professor and his life (“Hullumeelne professor: tema elukäik”) from collection of short stories and poems I am a shepherd lost in the night (“Olen öösse eksind karjus”)

1980 Friedebert Tuglas Short Story Award for The Scent (“Lõhn“)

1992 Friedebert Tuglas Short Story Award for On a Journey (“Rännakul“)

1988 Juhan Smuul literary award for Town Hall of Silence (“Vaikuse vallamaja“)

1984 Juhan Smuul literary award for Colours of the Clouds ( “Pilvede värvid“)