Mihkel Raud
Mihkel Raud (b. 18. I 1969) is a musician, journalist and writer.
He was born and educated in Tallinn, and studied English philology at the University of Tartu for a brief period. He has been a guitarist in the band Singer Vinger and several other bands, also a vocalist in the band Mr. Lawrence. He has directed television shows and been active in journalism. He was a member of the Social Democratic grouping in the Riigikogu [parliament], but later withdrew from politics. Mihkel Raud’s grandfather was the author Mart Raud (1903-1980), his parents were the children’s writer Eno Raud (1928-1996) and Aino Pervik (b. 1932); his brother is the author Rein Raud (b. 1961) and his sister the children’s writer Piret Raud (b. 1971).
He achieved great notice with his autobiographical work Musta pori näkku (‘Black Mud on the Face’, 2008), which deals with the world of rock music and musicians in the Estonia of the eighties, in a direct and sometimes naturalistic way. In rich and allusive language, the work, crossing genre boundaries, gives a prominent place to alcohol, plenty of partying and concerts, and alongside this it opens up a picture of the author’s mental world and the period. The controversial subject matter from recent history was the basis of its enormous sales success. The work was also the basis of a stage play at the Vanemuine Theatre in Tartu, first performed in 2012.
Also based on autobiographical material are the kind of self-help book Kus ma olen ja kuidas sina võid palju kaugemale jõuda (‘Where I Am and How You Could Get Much Further’, 2016), Isa (‘Father’, 2019), which dissects fatherhood, and Võtku homme mind või saatan (‘May the Devil Take Me Tomorrow’, 2020), which concentrates on the problems of relationships.
He has also written a thriller in the pure sense, Sinine on sinu taevas (Blue is Your Sky, 2010), at the centre of which is a wave of terrorism in contemporary Estonia.
A. K. (Translated by C. M.)
Books in Estonian
Novels
Sinine on sinu taevas. Tallinn: Mustvalge Kirjastus, 2010, 254 lk.
Miscellaneous
Musta pori näkku. Tallinn: Tammerraamat, 2008, 280 lk. [Järgmised trükid: 2011, 2017.]
Kus ma olen ja kuidas sina võid palju kaugemale jõuda. Tallinn: FD Distribution, 2016, 399 lk.
Eestlase käsiraamat: 100 asja, mida õige eestlane teeb. Tallinn: Rahva Raamat, 2017, 223 lk.
Isa. Tallinn: FD Distribution, 2019, 303 lk.
Võtku homme mind või saatan. Tallinn: KAVA Kirjastus, 2020, 303 lk.