Agu Tammeveski

Agu Tammeveski (has also used the pseudonym Indrek Kraas, born 20 October 1951) is a prose writer.

Tammeveski was born in Hiiumaa Island. He completed Nõo Secondary School in 1969 and thereafter was in military service. After that, he worked as a cook on an ocean ship for eight years and later as a forestry worker. He has been a member of the Estonian Writers’ Union from 2004.

In 1986, Tammeveski won the story competition of the journal Vikerkaar with his story Õhk (‘Air’). Tammeveski has written short stories for which he has twice received prizes in August Mälk short story competition (for the short story Sipelgate universum – ‘Universe of Ants’ – in 1999 and for Igaviku maaletooja – ‘Importer of Eternity’ – in 2000). In 2003 Tammeveski published the novel Kas teie olite siis teistsugune? (‘Were You Different Then?’) which deserved honorary mention at the novel competition of 2002.

Tammeveski mostly writes looking back at events in a long-term perspective. Nothing noteworthy happens at the moment of telling the story. The connecting feature of the seven stories in Tammeveski’s collection Mööduvate päevade soolane ja magus. Seitse juttu ühe pealkirjaga (‘The Savoury and the Sweet of the Passing Days. Seven Stories with One Title’, 2016) is the passage of human life as engulfed in yearning and expectations. Logical self-analysis does not take the characters closer to the fulfilment of their actual wishes and dreams. The precise nature of the characters’ wishes and dreams remains unexpressed. In Tammeveski’s stories, the plot is always a foreplay or a background to something; the characters stand on the threshold of something; something is coming but certainly not a triumph. Human relations in Tammeveski’s stories are alienatingly distant; no one seeks for closeness or warmth from their near ones. This expresses the characteristic neutrality of Tammeveski’s creation.

Tammeveski was one of the three scriptwriters of the film Ameerika mäed (‘Rollercoaster’, 1994, directed by Peeter Simm).

L. P. (Translated by I. A.)

Books in Estonian

Prose
Pikk hoojooks: jutte aastaist 1986–2001. Tallinn: Tuum, 2002. 135 lk.
Kas teie olite siis teistsugune?: meestekas. Tallinn: A. Tammeveski, 2003. 89 lk.
Kolmevennapäev: lugu meie päevilt. Kõrgessaare: A. Tammeveski, 2004. 79 lk.
Suvepäeva valgus; Ajaleidja: kaks jutustust. Kõrgessaare: A. Tammeveski, 2004. 109 lk.
Ühtmoodi eikuidagi: romaan lisapalaga. Isabella: A. Tammeveski, 2013. 253 lk.
Mööduvate päevade soolane ja magus: seitse juttu ühe pealkirjaga. Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus, 2016. 189 lk.