Vahur Afanasjev

Afanasjev graduated from the University of Tartu in 2002, majoring in economic policy. He was a member of a literary group called Tartu Young Authors' Association since 1998, and a member of the Estonian Writers' Union since 2006.{{cite web |title=Vahur Afanasjev 24. VIII 1979 – 10. V 2021 |url=https://sirp.ee/s1-artiklid/c7-kirjandus/vahur-afanasjev-24-viii-1979-10-v-2021/ |publisher=Sirp |access-date=9 July 2021 |language=et}} He worked as a journalist, media analyst, copywriter, creative director, and PR officer.

From 2005 to 2010, Afanasjev lived in Brussels, Belgium. He summed up his life as a euro official in the European Economic and Social Committee in his 2011 travelogue My Brussels.{{cite web |last1=Maasikas |first1=Matti |title=Vahur Afanasjev: Minu Brüssel / Läbikukkunud Euroametniku pihtimus |url=https://reisikirjad.gotravel.ee/ajakiri/vahur-afanasjev-minu-brussel-labikukkunud-euroametniku-pihtimus/ |website=Go Traveli reisikirjad |publisher=gotravel.ee |access-date=9 July 2021 |language=et}}

He was awarded the Baltic Assembly Prize for Literature in 2021. He died unexpectedly on 10 May 2021.{{cite web |title=Suri kirjanik Vahur Afanasjev |date=11 May 2021 |url=https://kultuur.err.ee/1608208696/suri-kirjanik-vahur-afanasjev |publisher=ERR |access-date=23 May 2021}}

Afanasjev's last completed works were published posthumously, these include the collection of poems Tuulevaiksed aastad (2021) and a novel Rail Baltic ehk kelmitants vanaisa sarvedega (2022).{{cite web |title=Kirjastus Vemsa annab välja Vahur Afanasjevi kaks uut postuumset teost |url=https://kultuur.err.ee/1608287694/kirjastus-vemsa-annab-valja-vahur-afanasjevi-kaks-uut-postuumset-teost |website=ERR |publisher=ERR |access-date=24 July 2021 |language=et |date=24 July 2021}}

Afanasjev began his writing career with poems and lyrics in 1995. In 1997–98, he published three poetry collections on the internet. His first poems were published in the Estonian literary magazine Vikerkaar in 1998. He published poetry books, short stories, and novels. His works have been published in several collections of various authors in English, Finnish, Russian, Romanian, Dutch, and Hungarian.{{Cite web|url=http://www.estlit.ee/elis/?cmd=writer&id=0998|title=Vahur Afanasjev – Biography | Estonian Literature|website=www.estlit.ee|accessdate=14 May 2021}}

Poetry:

• Kandiline maailm (Square World) 2000
• Kaantega viin (Wrapped Vodka or Folded Vienna or I Take with Covers) 2004
• Katedraal Emajões (Cathedral in Mother River) 2006
• Eesti vaarao (Estonian Pharaoh) 2013
• Kuidas peab elama (How Should We Live) 2014
• Tünsamäe tigu (Snail from Tünsamäe) 2015
• Hõbehundi laulud (Songs of a Silver Wolf) 2020
• Tuulevaiksed aastad (The Years of the Silence of the Wind) 2021

Novels:

• Kastraat Ontariost (A Castrato from Ontario) 2005
• Kosmos (Cosmos) 2008
• Serafima ja Bogdan (Serafima and Bogdan) an epic novel published 2017 in Estonian, 2019 in Russian
• Õitsengu äärel (On the Brink of Bloom) 2020
• Rail Baltic 2022

Other Prose

• Kanepi kirik (Ganja Church or The Church of Kanepi Village) 2002 (a book of short stories)
• Kaadrid otsustavad (Shots Decide) 2007 (a comedy book)

Non-fiction:

• Minu Brüssel (My Brussels) 2011
• Kuidas taluda Tartut (How to Tolerate Tartu) 2023

• Elise Rosalie Aun Literary Prize 2018.[http://www.sirp.ee/s1-artiklid/c7-kirjandus/votikvere-raamatukula-kirjanduspreemia-sai-vahur-afanasjev/ Võtikvere kirjanduspreemia sai Vahur Afanasjev], Sirp, 5 August 2018
• Estonian Cultural Endowment's Award for Prose 2018 (Kirjanduse sihtkapitali proosaauhind), for the novel Serafima and Bogdan
• Viru Literature Prize (Virumaa kirjandusauhind) 2018, for the novel Serafima and Bogdan
• First Prize, Estonian Novel Competition 2017, issued by Estonian Writers’ Union, for the novel Serafima and Bogdan
• Estonian Cultural Endowment's Award for Poetry 2016 (Kirjanduse sihtkapitali luuleauhind), for the poetry book Snail from Tünsamäe
• Go Travel Travelogue Award 2012 for My Brussels
• The Writer of Estonia 2010 (Eesti Kirjanik 2010), awarded by Juhan Liivi Selts

Honorary Citizen of Peipsiääre parish, with a badge of honor.{{Cite web|url=http://www.peipsivald.ee/et/uudised-ja-teated/-/asset_publisher/wAFiCI4yesnv/content/id/22881482|title=Uudised ja teated – Peipsiääre Vallavalitsus|website=www.peipsivald.ee|accessdate=14 May 2021}}

His style was described as socially critical magic realism flavoured with obscurities.{{Citation needed|date=February 2017}} His characters included parasite worms, murderers, corrupted journalists, robots, and lonely gay men. "...2008 saw the publication of his short novel Cosmos. This is a peculiar tale that could be characterised as Brokeback Mountain meets Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas."{{Cite journal|last=Helme|first=Peeter|date=Autumn 2008|title=Younger Estonian Prose|url=http://elm.estinst.ee/issue/27/younger-estonian-prose/|journal=ELM: Estonian Literary Magazine|volume=27|access-date=19 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720125505/http://elm.estinst.ee/issue/27/younger-estonian-prose/|archive-date=20 July 2011|url-status=dead}}

In addition to his writing, Afanasjev made electronic music (project tra_art), punk-like electric guitar rock, blues and country (project Kurluk Ulica), and experimental noisepop (project Kannibal Elektor).

A CD of tra_art was published with Vahur Afanasjev's book Kanepi Kirik (2002). Two of his recordings were on a CD of singing writers.Laulvad Kirjanikud published by Kirjandusfestival Prima Vista in 2007

He also wrote lyrics for Orelipoiss, Skriimsilm, and Päris Anny.

Afanasjev made experimental short films since 2006, and used photos and Microsoft PowerPoint in film production. In June 2008, he presented his autobiographical documentary film Where Dreams End and was threatened with a court case concerning it.{{Citation needed|date=February 2017}} The film had its official premiere at the Eclectica festival.http://tartu.postimees.ee/310808/tartu_postimees/kultuur/341269.php {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220005447/http://tartu.postimees.ee/310808/tartu_postimees/kultuur/341269.php |date=20 February 2012 }} In April 2009, Afanasjev finished production of a documentary film called Rong Way about the complicated train travel between Estonia and Western Europe.{{cite web |title=Vahur Afanasjev – Eesti filmi andmebaas |url=https://www.efis.ee/et/inimesed/id/12871 |website=www.efis.ee |publisher=Eesti Filmi Infosüsteem |access-date=9 July 2021}}

{{reflist}}

• Vahur Afanasjev's [https://www.vahurafanasjev.com/ blog]
• [https://sisu.ut.ee/ewod/a/afanasjev Vahur Afanasjev at Estonian Writers' Online Dictionary]
• [http://elm.estinst.ee/interviews/most-important-of-all-is-the-person/ Most important of all is the person]. Interview with Vahur Afanasjev by Holger Kaints, Estonian Literary Magazine 2/2018
• [http://estlit.ee/elis/?cmd=writer&id=0998&txt=65677 Serafima and Bogdan] by Elle-Mari Talivee
• [http://elm.estinst.ee/book-reviews/serafima-and-bogdanby-vahur-afanasjev/ Serafima and Bogdan] by By Peeter Helme, Estonian Literary Magazine 1/2018
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120722141415/http://elm.estinst.ee/issue/27/short-overviews-books-estonian-authors/ Short Overviews of Books by Estonian Authors] by Rutt Hinrikus

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Category:1979 births

Category:2021 deaths

Category:Estonian film directors

Category:Estonian musicians

Category:Estonian male novelists

Category:Place of death missing

Category:Estonian male poets

Category:21st-century Estonian novelists

Category:21st-century Estonian poets

Category:University of Tartu alumni

Category:Writers from Tartu