Leo Luks

Leo Luks (born 13 November 1976) is a philosopher, poet and critic.

Luks was born and attended school in Tallinn. He studied philosophy at the University of Tartu and Tallinn University, obtaining his doctorate from the Estonian Institute of Humanities at Tallinn University with the thesis Ei kogemine nihilismi mõtlemises filosoofia ja kirjanduse ühtesulamisel (‘The Experience of the Not in Nihilist Thought in the Fusion of Philosophy and Literature’, 2010). Luks has worked as a lecturer at the Estonian Academy of Arts, Tallinn University, the University of Tartu and the Estonian University of Life Sciences, been a senior researcher at the Under and Tuglas Literature Centre. He is a member of the Estonian Writers’ Union and the Estonian Society of Philosophy Teachers and was a member of Tartu Young Authors’ Association.

Leo Luks’ main research areas are related to nihilism, Nietzsche’s philosophy, phenomenology and the problems of home and homelessness. His articles, presentations, essays, etc. have been published the collections Eklektika (‘Eclecticism’, 2006), 40 kiri (‘The Letter of 40’, 2016) and Filosoofia kui looming (‘Philosophy as Creation’, 2021). His poetry collections 100% leo luks (2013) and Vaene maa (‘The Poor Country’, 2018) stand out for their intellectual puns and language games seen from a masculine point of view.

In 2018, Luks founded the publishing company Vabamõtleja which publishes Estonian literature and a series of original philosophical literature also called Vabamõtlejad (‘Freethinkers’).

He has received the translation award of the journal Akadeemia (2004), the criticism award of the journal Looming (2007), the annual literature research award of the journal Keel ja Kirjandus and the article award of the Literature Endowment for his article Eesti kirjanduse kadunud kodu (‘The Lost Home in Estonian Literature’, 2014). In 2017, Luks received the Municipal Foundation Award of the Estonian University of Life Sciences and the golden award of the journal Akadeemia.

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

Books in Estonian

Poetry collections
100% Leo Luks. Saarde, Pärnu: Jumalikud Ilmutused, 2013, 69 lk.
Vaene maa. Tartu: Vabamõtleja, 2018, 104 lk.

Miscellaneous
Eklektika. Tartu: EYS Veljesto, 2006, 224 lk. [Artiklid ja arvustused.]
Eesti koondis bridži Euroopa meistrivõistlustel Varssavis 2006. Tallinn: ETBL, 2007, 63 lk.
Eesti bridžikoondis Euroopa meistrivõistlustel Pau’s 2008. Tallinn: ETBL, 2010, 66 lk.
Eesti bridžikoondis Euroopa meistrivõistlustel Dublinis 2012. Tallinn: Eesti Turniiribridžiliit, 2013, 45 lk.
Nihilism ja kirjandus: ei kogemine filosoofia ja kirjanduse ühtesulamisel. Tallinn: TLÜ kirjastus, 2015, 263 lk. [Doktoritöö.]
40 kiri. Koost. Hasso Krull. Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus, 2016, 389 lk. [Artiklid ja arvustused.]
Eesti bridžikoondis Euroopa võistkondlikel Euroopa meistrivõistlustel Budapestis 2016. Tallinn: Eesti Turniiribridžiliit, 2017, 121 lk.
Filosoofia kui looming: kirjutisi filosoofiast, kirjandusest ja ühiskonnast 2003–2020. Tartu: Vabamõtleja, 2021, 288 lk. [Artiklid ja arvustused.]