Toivo Tootsen

Short stories

Toivo Tootsen (born 17. VI 1943) is a journalist, writer, and politician.

Tootsen was born in Rõuge, Võru County, and attended a seven-class school at Rõuge, which he graduated in 1957. He continued his studies at Võru 1st Secondary School. In 1962, he graduated from the Võru Workers’ Youth Secondary School and started a job as assistant worker at the Department of Land Development in Võru, where he was promoted to technician and then senior technician.

Tootsen was a distance learning student at Tartu State University, where he studied Estonian language and literature, and at Tallinn Pedagogical Institute, where he majored in stage direction. After moving to Tallinn, he worked as a freelance correspondent at Estonian Television. In 1963, he was invited to become a literary contributor to the editorial board of the children’s newspaper Säde. In 1967, Tootsen was invited to work in the entertainment programs department at Estonian Radio, which he led until 1996. Tootsen is a member of the Estonian Association of Journalists and from 1995-1997, he also worked as its head of the board.

In 1993, Tootsen entered politics. He is a member of the Estonian Centre Party since 1994. He was the chairman of the Centre Party faction in Tallinn City Council for over ten years. In 1999, he ran for parliament (Riigikogu) and worked as its member for three consecutive terms. In Riigikogu, he was a member of the Rural Affairs Committee and the Legal Affairs Committee; for two years, he also led the National Defence Committee and was its vice chair.

Tootsen has written many children’s books. He created the character of the prankster schoolboy Joosep Jõhvi. In 1970, he co-authored a travelogue together with his brother, the TV journalist Ülo Tootsen (1933-2006) entitled Maa ja mere peal (‘Above Land and Sea’, published in the travelogue series Maailm ja mõnda (‘The World and Some’), which relates the authors’ travels along the state border of the Soviet Union. In his later years, Tootsen has written about noteworthy members of society. He has continued writing about the funny happenings of Joosep Jõhvi together with his son, the writer Tõnis Tootsen.

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

 

Books in Estonian

Children's stories
Jõhvi Joosepi jutupaun. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1975. 64 lk.
Jõhvi Joosepi juturaamat. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1983. 97 lk.
Jõhvi Joosepi jutud. Tallinn: Meelejahutaja, 1996. 31 lk.
Jõhvi Joosepi jututuba: lustakat lugemist kogu perele. Toivo ja Tõnis Tootsen. Tallinn: I. Parbus, 2001. 107 lk.
Toivo ja Tõnis Tootsen, Jõhvi Joosepi koolijutud. Tallinn: TEA Kirjastus, 2009. 113 lk.
Meie armsad loomad. Tallinn: Absoluutne, 2016. 63 lk.

Humor
Ajaviidet: pila- ja pulalood ehk valimata teosed romaanist rahvajutuni. Tallinn, 1992. 31 lk.

Travelogues
Ülo ja Toivo Tootsen, Maa ja mere peal: 35 000 km mööda riigipiiri. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1970. 296 lk.

Memoirs
Sihuke ma olen. Tallinn: Revelex Kirjastus, 2005. 100 lk.
Sihuke ma olen ja nii ma mõtlen. Tallinn: T. Tootsen, 2007. 102 lk.
Tosin aastat Toompea leival: deputaat Joosepi jutud. Tallinn: Absoluutne, 2011. 207 lk.
Minu elu RAMETO-s, ehk, Kuidas me meelt jahutasime. Tallinn: Tänapäev, 2012. 172 lk.
Kott seljas ümber „kodumaa“. Tallinn: Go Group, 2013. 281 lk.
Saksa ajal sündinu. Tallinn: Maagiline Ruum, 2015. 320 lk.
Poisi pesa puu otsas: vana aja jutud. Tallinn: Absoluutne, 2018. 71 lk.
Tormide ja tungide aeg Tallinnas. Tallinn: Absoluutne, 2021. 231 lk.

Biographies
Vana Hõbe: Hardi Tiidus ja inimesed tema ümber. Tallinn: Maagiline Ruum, 2013. 319 lk.

Interviews
Tegijad: Arnold Rüütel, Edgar Savisaar, Liina Tõnisson, Arvo Haug, Vaino Väljas, Eha Kostabi, Hardi Tiidus. Tallinn: I. Parbus, 2003. 150 lk.

History of journalism
Balti Pressiliit 65. Tallinn: Eesti Ajakirjanike Liit, 1998. 36 lk.
Seitsmes suurriik Eestis: fakte, mälestusi ja mõtteid Eesti Ajakirjanike Liidu 85. sünnipäeval. Tallinn: Revelex, 2004. 307 lk.