Famous Estonian writer Arvo Valton was honored for his achievements in culture 

Estonian writer, poet, translator, and publicist Arvo Valton received the Estonian Lifetime Achievement Award in Culture (Kultuuri elutööpreemiad). 

The writer was nominated for the award by the Karl Ristikivi Society, the University of Tallinn and the Estonian Writers’ Union. According to Heidi Purga, the Minister of Culture of Estonia, the Estonian National Award is the highest state recognition for professionals in culture and sports. 

“I don’t think I received the award for nothing. It is the result of a long-term career. I’ve been in literature for so long and I’ve been a fairly prolific writer all along, so it’s probably deserved, although it may sound arrogant,” Walton told Kultuuriportaal. 

He mentioned that he continues to write actively. “Perhaps it’s not very common at my age [88]. Now I mostly write miniatures. I have a collection of miniatures and aphorisms which came out in Poland. So I’m in the [literary] process, in any case,” the writer said. 

Arvo Valton is an Estonian writer and screenwriter, Finno-Ugric politician, and researcher of culture and literature of Finno-Ugric peoples. He is the author of more than 50 books. He writes novels, short stories, poems, film scripts, miniatures, aphorisms and fairy tales. His works have been translated into more than 30 languages. 

Until 2011, he was president of the Association of Finno-Ugric Writers. He is one of the most active defenders of the rights of the colonised peoples of Russia, including the Khanty and the Veps. He criticises the Russification of the Finno-Ugric peoples. Arvo Valton contributed to the emergence of centres of Udmurt, Komi and Mari creative emigration in Tartu. 

His works have been translated into English, German, French, Dutch, Italian and many other languages.

Find out more about Arvo Valton in the Estonian Literary Magazine (PDF, p. 30).

Translation: Anastasia Menkush

Editing: Tanya Mykhaylychenko