Markus Väin

Markus Väin (born 7 March 1999) is a prose writer.

Väin was born in Tallinn. He completed Nõmme Gymnasium in Tallinn in 2018 and graduated from the University of Tartu with a BA in law in 2021. Väin is doing his master’s studies in political science at Tallinn University. He is a member of the Estonian Writers’ Union from 2022.

Markus Väin has published two bulky thriller novels. In 2018, Väin achieved the third place at the novel competition of Tänapäev publishers with his manuscript Illuminati. In the novel, the prime minister’s daughter discovers his father’s secret, and the events develop at lightning speed. The author himself has commented Illuminati: “I wrote this book during my high school years. For me, this story is like a parody of evil. The point is that conspiracy theories, like all sorts of myths, which dictatorships and political extremism base themselves on, must be recognized and ignored. For they are the root of all evil, corrupting minds and causing disasters. Almost all characters in this book are delusional, bigoted and arrogant, but at the same time remain ridiculous and comical. The story runs a bit like an action movie-inspired spoof.”

The thriller Loss (‘Castle’, 2021) is Väin’s second novel. The protagonist is a young bank clerk who comes to visit the lord of the castle to manage his accounts and property, but a whirlpool of initially unexplainable events unravels. Väin’s works reveal the author’s broad erudition. In the novel Loss, influences of Kafka’s novel Das Schloss and Karl Ristikivi’s novel Hingede öö (‘Night of Souls’) can be found. The text also displays elements of magical realism.

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

Books in Estonian

Novels
Illuminati. Tallinn: Tänapäev, 2019. 620 pp.
Loss. Tallinn: Hea Lugu, 2021. 380 pp.