Writer Elin Toona Receives Visnapuu Award in Tallinn

On January 22, writer Elin Toona was presented with the Henrik Visnapuu award for her lifetime literary achievements at a ceremony at the Kirjanike maja (Writers House) in Tallinn.

 

The event was organized by the Estonian American National Council, Inc and the Estonian Writers Union, who along with the Luunja parish municipal government have re-established the tradition of presenting the award.

The award was presented annually from 1952 to 2007 to an Estonian writer in exile for outstanding achievement and the tradition has now been resumed after a 14-year hiatus.

 

It will be presented every two years on January 2, the anniversary of poet Henrik Visnapuu's birth.

 

This past year there were 15 candidates from six countries vying for the award.

Visnapuu lived in the U.S. for two years after escaping war-torn Estonia.

 

He died on Long Island in 1951 and now rests in Tallinn's Metsakalmistu (Forest Cemetery).

Elin Toona first won the Visnapuu award in 1966 for her breakout novel "Puuingel" (Wooden Angel).

 

Born in Estonia, she escaped with her mother and grandmother to Germany, settling in the U.K. and has lived in the U.S. since 1970. She recently moved back to the land of her birth.

 

 

Estonian Wooden House Manufacturer Signs Agreement With Large U.S. Manufacturer

In the last days of December, the Estonian-owned architectural firm and house manufacturer Kodasema, which creates innovative housing and accommodation solutions, signed an agreement with the U.S. company Big Sun Modular.

 

The latter now owns sole rights to sell KODA by Kodasema®, an award-winning sustainable modular housing solution, in North and South America as of January 2022.