Playwrights

Tõnu Õnnepalu is a prosaist, translator and poet. In 1985 he graduated with honours with a degree in Botany and Ecology and worked briefly as a biology and chemistry teacher. Õnnepalu's prose work is characterised by an autobiographical approach, but also by an intriguing sideways glance at himself. His poems are film-like and often contrast light and darkness. There are no plots, no narrative, no specific story in his essayistic prose writings. Thematically, his works are introspective, analysing the world and his own experience within it.

Recognition:

2023 Tammsaare Novel Prize Wage: Winter Diary (“Palk: Talve päevik”)

2018 Eduard Vilde Literary Award for Catalogue of Lies. The English Garden (“Valede kataloog. Inglise aed”)

2017 Cultural Endowment of Estonia, annual literature endowment award for Catalogue of Lies. The English Garden (“Valede kataloog. Inglise aed”)

2014 Cultural Endowment of Estonia, annual literature endowment award for Brother (“Vennas”)

2011 Cultural Endowment of Estonia, annual literature endowment award for The only love. Selection of essays (“Ainus armastus. Valik esseid“)

2010 A. H. Tammsaare Literary Award for Paradise ("Paradiis")

2010 Eduard Vilde Literary Award for Spring and Summer and (“Kevad ja suvi ja”)

2007  Cultural Endowment of Estonia, annual literature endowment award for Flanders Diary (“Flandria päevik”)

2007 Juhan Liiv Poetry Award for You Wait for Spring and Then It Comes. Again (“Ootad kevadet ja siis ta jälle tuleb …”)

2002  Cultural Endowment of Estonia, annual literature endowment award. Special award for article: "When... Ripening. Two Poems and a Book by Aleksander Suuman" ("Here in Hyperborea") (In Estonian:“Kui...Küpsemine. Aleksander Suumani kaks luuletust ja üks raamat” (“Meil siin Hüperboreas))

1997 Friedebert Tuglas Short Story Award (“Külmakondid”)

1995 Baltic Assembly Literary Award for Border State (“Piiririik”)

1995 Cultural Endowment of Estonia, annual literature endowment award for The Price (“Hind”)

1994  Cultural Endowment of Estonia, annual literature endowment award for Border State (“Piiririik”)