Mihkel Kunnus

Mihkel Kunnus (born 23 February 1982) is an essayist and critic.

Kunnus was born at Uhtna (Lääne-Viru County), attended school at Kaarepere (Jõgeva County) and Nõo Secondary School of Science (Tartu County), studied chemistry at the University of Tartu and also acquired a MA in semiotics and cultural studies there. He has worked as a schoolteacher and university lecturer and is now opinion editor of the Postimees newspaper. He is a member of the Estonian Writers’ Union from 2012. He received the annual award of the cultural weekly Sirp in 2010 and under the pseudonym Elli Soolo in 2012; in the same year he also earned the title of Tartu Kultuurikandja ('Tartu Culture Bearer').

Kunnus became known as a critic of literature and culture and columnist in the 2010s. He stands out with his idiosyncratic, erudite, argumented and sometimes radical (non-stereotypical) standpoints. He has defined his worldview as conservative. Essays and reviews have been gathered into the collections Minu eugeenika saladus: kultuurieugeenilisi koode (‘The Secret of My Eugenics: Cultural Eugenic Codes’, 2012) and Roheline süü (‘Green Guilt’, 2014) which include treatments of Estonian literature and various social themes. An essential role in Kunnus’ frame of mind belongs to rationality and morality; one of his characteristic stylistic devices is paradox.

A. K. (Translated by I. A.)

Books in Estonian

Poetry
Elli Soolo, Teine tegupool. Tartu: Vabamõtleja, 2018, 80 lk.

Essays
Minu eugeenika saladus: kultuurieugeenilisi koode. Saarde, Pärnu: Jumalikud Ilmutused, 2012, 265 lk.
Roheline süü. Saarde, Pärnu: Jumalikud Ilmutused, 2014, 164 lk.
Päästepaadieetika. Pärnu: Jumalikud Ilmutused, 2018, 228 lk.