Peeter Urm

Peeter Urm (born 25 April 1949) is a prose writer, scriptwriter and physician.

Urm was born in Tartu. He completed secondary school in Tartu and, thereafter, studied medicine at the University of Tartu. After graduating from the university in 1973, he worked as a physician at different hospitals in Tallinn and its surroundings until 1997. From 1997, he has lived in Tallinn as a freelance writer. Peeter Urm has been a member of the Estonian Writers’ Union from 1996.

Urm made his debut with the story Doktor Harri Rävel (‘Doctor Harri Rävel’) in the journal Looming in 1980 and, in the following year, published the novel Viimane raund (‘The Last Round’). Both deal with the ethical questions of the medical profession and hospital life. Urm’s next book, Päike tules (‘The Sun on Fire’, 1982) is a psychological crime novel. The trilogy of novels Siinpool paradiisi (‘On This Side of Paradise’, 1993), Provintsiarst (‘Provincial Doctor’, 1994) and Hüvastijätt (‘Farewell’, 1996) is based on the life of the renowned Estonian medical scientist Arnold Seppo (1917–1980). The author connects the prototype’s biographical facts with the creation of his own fantasy. For the first two novels of the trilogy, Urm received the Eduard Vilde Prize in Literature in 1995. In 2001, Urm published the crime novel Väikelinna šerif (‘Small Town Sheriff’).

Peeter Urm has written radio plays and received awards at competitions of filmscripts and plays. He wrote the script for the 40-part television serial V.E.R.I. = Valu. Elu. Raha. Ilu (‘B.L.O.O.D. = Pain. Life. Money. Beauty’) which was shown on Estonian Television from 1995–1996.

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

Books in Estonian

Novels
Viimane raund. Tallinn : Eesti Raamat, 1981. 136 lk.
Päike tules. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1982. 191 lk.
Siinpool paradiisi. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1993. 285 lk.
Provintsiarst. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1994. 255 lk.
Dorfi suvi. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1995. 350 lk.
Hüvastijätt. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1996. 278 lk.
Väikelinna šerif. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 2001. 238 lk.
Doktor Harri Rävel [lühiromaan]; Perekond [näidend]. Habaja: Kentaur, 2004. 160 lk.