Markus Vetemaa

Markus Vetemaa (born 5 October 1965) is a biologist and prose writer.

Vetemaa was born in Tallinn. His father was writer Enn Vetemaa. From 1972–1980, he attended Tallinn Secondary School No. 46 and, from 1980–1983, Tallinn Secondary School No. 3. From 1983–1990, he studied at the Faculty of Biology and Geography at Tartu State University from which he graduated as a gene scientist. From 1984–1986, Vetemaa did mandatory military service in the Soviet Army. In 1998, he acquired a doctoral degree in zoology and hydrobiology and worked thereafter at the Institute of Zoology and Hydrobiology at the University of Tartu. From 2000, he has held several positions at the Estonian Marine Institute at the University of Tartu, from 2021, has been a professor. Vetemaa has been a member of the Estonian Writers’ Union from 2001.

Markus Vetemaa made his debut with the story Ühel õhtul (‘One Evening’) in the magazine Noorus in 1983.  His short novel Ahelikud (‘Mountain Ranges’, 1991) depicts the young scientist’s internal conflict and reaching a solution in the society of mountain people. With his later works, Vetemaa has joined the science fiction writers. The novel Valgelinnu maailm (‘World of the White Bird’) has been called Castaneda-like fantasy. The 600-page novel Tarkade kivi ja kannabinoidid (‘Philosophers’ Stone and Cannabinoids’, 2017) describes contact with an extra-terrestrial civilisation, but the book has been presented “more like a love novel than science fiction”.

Markus Vetemaa has translated Carlos Castaneda’s books from English into Estonian.

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

Books in Estonian

Novels
Ahelikud. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1991. 127 lk.
Valgelinnu maailm. Tallinn: Kupar, 1998. 592 lk.
Tarkade kivi ja kannabinoidid. Tartu: Punased Palmid, 2017. 607 lk.