Tõnu Õnnepalu (born 13 September 1962), also known by the pen names Emil Tode and Anton Nigov, is an Estonian

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...

, author and translator. Õnnepalu was born in

Tallinn Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju '' ...

and studied

biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

at the

University of Tartu The University of Tartu (UT; et, Tartu Ülikool; la, Universitas Tartuensis) is a university in the city of Tartu in Estonia. It is the national university of Estonia. It is the only classical university in the country, and also its biggest ...

from 1980 to 1985. He began his writing career as a poet in 1985 and has published three collections of his works. In 1993 he garnered international attention when his novel ''Piiririik'' (English translation: "Border State") was published under his pen name 'Emil Tode'.Estonian Literature Information Center
/ref> The book was translated into 14 languages and became the most translated Estonian book of the 1990s. In 1994 he was awarded the Baltic Assembly Prize for Literature. Õnnepalu's work often explores topics such as homosexuality, isolation and betrayal. In 1992, his poem "Inquiétude du Fini" was performed as a choral piece, with notable Estonian composer

Erkki-Sven Tüür Erkki-Sven Tüür (born 16 October 1959) is an Estonian composer. Life and career Tüür () was born in Kärdla on the Estonian island of Hiiumaa. He studied flute and percussion at the Tallinn Music School from 1976 to 1980 and composition w ...

acting as conductor. In addition to writing novels, Tõnu Õnnepalu has translated works into Estonian from the French language by such authors as

François Mauriac François Charles Mauriac (, oc, Francés Carles Mauriac; 11 October 1885 – 1 September 1970) was a French novelist, dramatist, critic, poet, and journalist, a member of the'' Académie française'' (from 1933), and laureate of the Nobel Prize ...

Charles Baudelaire Charles Pierre Baudelaire (, ; ; 9 April 1821 – 31 August 1867) was a French poet who also produced notable work as an essayist and art critic. His poems exhibit mastery in the handling of rhyme and rhythm, contain an exoticism inherited ...

and Marcel Proust and has written for such English language publications as the

Poetry Society The Poetry Society is a membership organisation, open to all, whose stated aim is "to promote the study, use and enjoyment of poetry". The society was founded in London in February 1909 as the Poetry Recital Society, becoming the Poetry Society ...

. Tõnu Õnnepalu is also a member of the Board of Governors of the ''Eesti Maaülikool'' (

Estonian University of Life Sciences The Estonian University of Life Sciences ( Estonian: ''Eesti Maaülikool'', EMÜ) located in Tartu, Estonia, is the former Estonian Agricultural University, which was established in 1951 and renamed and restructured in November 2005. Eesti Maa� ...

) in Tartu.

Novels

*''Piiririik'' ("Border State", as Emil Tode) **Published by Tuum, 1993. *''Hind'' ("The Price", as Emil Tode) **Published by Tuum, 1995. *''Mõõt'' ("The Measure", as Emil Tode)''Short Outlines of Books By Estonian Authors.'' by Rutt Hinrikus and Janika Kronberg
**Published by Tuum, 1996. *''Printsess'' ("Princess", as Emil Tode) **Published by Täht, 1997. *''Harjutused'' ("Practicing", as Anton Nigov) **Published by Eesti Keele Sihtasutus, 2002. *''Raadio'' ("Radio", as Emil Tode) **Published by Eesti Keele Sihtasutus, 2002. **English translation, ''Radio'', published by

Dalkey Archive Press Dalkey Archive Press is an American publisher of fiction, poetry, foreign translations and literary criticism specializing in the publication or republication of lesser-known, often avant-garde works. The company has offices in Funks Grove, Il ...

, 2014 () *''Paradiis'' ("Paradise", as Tõnu Õnnepalu) **Published by Varrak, 2009. *''Mandala'' ("Mandala", as Tõnu Õnnepalu) **Published by Varrak, 2012. *''Valede kataloog. Inglise aed'' **Published by Eesti Keele Sihtasutus, 2017. *''Lõpmatus'' (''Infinity'', as Tõnu Õnnepalu) ** Published by EKSA, 2019.

Collections of poetry

*''Jõeäärne maja'', 1985 *''Ithaka'', 1988 *''Sel maal'', 1990 *''Mõõt'', 1996 *''Enne heinaaega ja hiljem'', 2005 *''Kevad ja suvi ja'', 2009 *''Kuidas on elada'', 2012 * ''Klaasveranda'', 2016 * ''Pimeduse tunnel'', 2020

References

External links

Estonian Literature Information CenterEesti Maaülikool: Estonian University of Life Sciences
{{DEFAULTSORT:Onnepalu, Tonu 1962 births Living people Writers from Tallinn Estonian male novelists Estonian male poets Estonian translators University of Tartu alumni 20th-century Estonian novelists 20th-century Estonian poets 21st-century Estonian novelists 21st-century Estonian poets Recipients of the Order of the White Star, 5th Class