Famous Estonian Writers

Robert Kurvitz is an Estonian novelist, video game designer, and musician. A founding member of a cultural association called ZA/UM, Kurvitz also went on to found a video game development company of the same name. ZA/UM is best known as the company that released the critically praised role-playing video game, Disco Elysium.

Lennart Meri was an Estonian writer, politician, and film director. He played a key role in the Estonian independence movement. From 1992 to 2001, he served as the president of Estonia and is often counted among the most revered presidents of Estonia. In 2009, Tallinn Airport was renamed Lennart Meri Tallinn International Airport.

Jaan Kross was an Estonian writer best remembered for winning the International Nonino Prize in 1995 in Italy. He also received several nominations for the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature award during the early 1990s. Jaan Kross is also regarded as the most popular and most translated Estonian writer of all time.

Velly Joonas is an Estonian songwriter, musician, poet, and painter. She achieved popularity as a former member of amateur groups like Pirita and Vstretša. In addition to her songwriting career, Velly Joonas has also found fame as a painter and has displayed her oil paintings across Estonia. She currently works as a teacher in Vahenurme.

Estonian author, playwright, topical-satirist, and screen-writer Andrus Kivirähk is best-known for authoring novels like Rehepapp ehk November and Mees, kes teadis ussisõnu. He is a member of Estonian Writers' Union and is considered the most popular Estonian writer of 21st century. He co-hosts Rahva Oma Kaitse, a humorous and satirical weekly radio show, along with Mart Juur, on Raadio 2.   

Estonian writer and physician Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald is regarded as father of the national literature for Estonia. He is best remembered for authoring the epic poem Kalevipoeg that is considered the Estonian national epic. It is considered that Kreutzwald wrote the first original Estonian book. He was also noted as a leader of the national awakening.

Carl Robert Jakobson was an Estonian politician, writer, and teacher. He is best remembered for his role in the Estonian national awakening movement that unfolded during the latter half of the 19th century. As part of the movement, Carl Robert Jakobson founded a newspaper named Sakala in 1878, which became an important promoter of the cultural awakening. 

Estonian poet, philosopher, and culture critic Jaan Kaplinski was influenced by Eastern philosophical schools, particularly Buddhism. Noted for his support for left-wing/liberal thinking, works of Kaplinski dealt with several subjects including politics, nature, philosophy of language, environmental issues, Estonian nationalism and Buddhism. Selected works of Kaplinski include the poem book The Wandering Border and the semi-autobiographical novel The Same River.

Marie Under was an Estonian poet who is often counted among the greatest Estonian poets of all time. She was also one of the most translated Estonian authors as her work was translated into more than 25 languages. Marie Under also played an influential role in the Siuru literary movement and helped found the Estonian Writers' Union in 1922.

Mihkel Raud is an Estonian writer, actor, music artist, and former politician. In Estonia, he is best known as a musician. He has contributed as a singer-songwriter and guitarist to several local bands including Singer Vinger, Golem, and Metallist. Mihkel Raud is also known as the former host of a popular TV talk show titled Seitse Vaprat. 

Oskar Luts was an Estonian playwright and writer. In 1945, he became the first Estonian writer to be honored with the prestigious title of People's Writer of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic. As a playwright, he is best remembered for his work Kapsapea, which has been staged many times. Oskar Luts' works have also been translated into numerous languages.

Leelo Tungal is an Estonian children's writer, poet, editor, translator, and librettist. She is credited with founding a children's magazine called Hea Laps. Over the course of her illustrious career, Leelo Tungal has won many prestigious awards such as the Karl Eduard Sööt Award, Julius Oro Award, Muhv Award, and Baltic Assembly Prize in Literature.

Juhan Viiding was an Estonian actor and poet. He is remembered for his association with the Tallinn's National Drama Theatre, which was renamed Estonian Drama Theatre. He staged many plays of playwrights like Eugène Ionesco and Samuel Beckett. Juhan Viiding was also a noted poet who wrote under the pseudonym Jüri Üdi. He committed suicide at the age of 46.

Kaur Kender is an Estonian entrepreneur and author. A controversial personality, Kender was accused of writing child pornography in 2016, but was later acquitted. A friend of fellow author Robert Kurvitz, Kaur Kender played an important role in the development of the former's critically acclaimed video game, Disco Elysium.

Anton Hansen Tammsaare was an Estonian writer best remembered for his pentalogy Truth and Justice, which is counted among the most important works of Estonian literature. He achieved international fame after the release of his novel Devil with a False Passport, which was adapted into a film of the same name.

Gustav Suits was an Estonian poet who is often counted among the greatest Estonian poets of all time. He played an important role in the development of a literary movement called Young Estonia where he served as the leader in its initial years. Gustav Suits is also credited with establishing the Estonian Academic Literary Society.