Mati Unt (1 January 1944 in Linnamäe, Voore Parish Voore, Mustvee Parish">Voore,_Jõgeva_County.html" ;"title="ow Voore, Jõgeva County">Voore, Mustvee Parish Jõgeva County – 22 August 2005 in Tallinn) was an Estonian writer, essayist and theatre director.

Biography

His first novel, written at the age of 18 after having finished high school, was '' Hüvasti, kollane kass'' (Goodbye, Yellow Cat). He completed his education in literature, journalism, and philology at the

University of Tartu The University of Tartu (UT; ; ) is a public research university located in the city of Tartu, Estonia. It is the national university of Estonia. It is also the largest and oldest university in the country.

. After that, he served as director of the Vanemuine Theater from 1966 to 1972, held the same position at the Youth Theater until 1991, and then at the

Estonian Drama Theatre The Estonian Drama Theatre () is a theatre in Tallinn, Estonia. It has the role of a national theatre for Estonia. The Estonia Theatre is located next door. History The building that houses the Estonian Drama Theatre was originally built for the ...

until 2003, when he became a freelance writer. Unt was married to the television journalist and screenwriter

Ela Tomson Ela Tomson (born Ela Liimeon; 16 February 1945) is an Estonian television journalist, editor, screenwriter, and politician. She was a member of X Riigikogu. Early life and career Tomson was born in Pärnu. She is a 1967 graduate of Tartu State Un ...

from 1965, until their divorce in 1973. He joined the

Estonian Writers' Union The Estonian Writers' Union (, abbr. EWU is a professional association of Estonian writers and literary critics.Marje Jõeste, Küllo Arjakas, ''The Baltic States'', Estonian Encyclopaedia Publishers, 1991, page 64 History The Estonian Writer ...

in 1966. In 1980, he was named an Honored Writer of the Estonian SSR, and that same year he became one of the signatories to the Letter of 40 intellectuals. In 2000, he was awarded the

Order of the White Star The Order of the White Star (; ) was instituted in 1936. The Order of the White Star is bestowed on Estonian citizens and foreigners to give recognition for services rendered to the Estonian state. Design Classes The Order of the White Star ...

. In 2005, not long before his death, he became a professor of liberal arts at the university. He is buried in

Metsakalmistu Metsakalmistu () is a cemetery in the Pirita district of Tallinn. History Metsakalmistu was originally planned to be a public central city cemetery. Eduard Vilde was the first to be buried in 1933. The original area of the cemetery was 24.2 hec ...

cemetery in Tallinn.

Works

Four successive novels, ''Võlg'' (The Debt, 1964), ''Elu võimalikkusest kosmoses'' (On the Possibility of Life in Space, 1967), ''Kuu nagu kustuv päike'' (The Moon like the Outgoing Sun, 1971), and ''Must mootorrattur'' (The Black Motorcyclist, 1976), established his reputation as a major writer. In addition, he was instrumental in bringing avant-garde theatre to post-Soviet Estonia. Several of his novels have been adapted for film since his death, including ''Sügisball'' ("

Autumn Ball ''Autumn Ball'' () is a 2007 Estonian drama film directed by Veiko Õunpuu, adapted from Mati Unt's 1979 novel of the same name. The film depicts six desolate people of different yet similar fates in characteristically Soviet pre-fabricated ho ...

") in 2007 by

Veiko Õunpuu Veiko Õunpuu (born 16 March 1972, in Saaremaa) is an Estonian film director and screenwriter who is best known for his artistic movies ''Autumn Ball'' (''Sügisball'', 2007) and '' The Temptation of St. Tony'' (''Püha Tõnu kiusamine'', 2009). � ...

English translations

* ''Things in the Night'' (''Öös on asju'', 1990) Translated by Eric Dickens. Normal, IL:

Dalkey Archive Press Dalkey Archive Press is an American publisher of fiction, poetry, foreign translations and literary criticism specializing in the publication or republication of lesser-known, often avant-garde works. The company has offices in Funks Grove, Il ...

, 2006. * ''Diary of a Blood Donor'' (''Doonori meelespea'', 1990) Translated by Ants Eert. Champaign, IL:

, 2008. * ''Brecht at Night'' (''Brecht ilmub öösel'', 1996) Translated by Eric Dickens. Champaign, IL:

, 2009. * "An Empty Beach" ("Tühirand," 1972) in ''The Dedalus Book of Estonian Literature''. Edited by Jan Kaus and translated by Eric Dickens. Sawtry:

Dedalus Books Dedalus Books is an independent publishing company based in Cambridgeshire, England. Publisher Eric Lane has said, "We like the bizarre, the grotesque, the surreal and the clever, preferably in the same book. We call this kind of book, distort ...

, 2011.

References

External links

Obituary by Eric Dickens
{{DEFAULTSORT:Unt, Mati 1944 births 2005 deaths People from Mustvee Parish Estonian male novelists Estonian dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Estonian novelists 20th-century dramatists and playwrights Male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Estonian male writers Burials at Metsakalmistu Recipients of the Order of the White Star, 3rd Class