VEMU (Estonian Museum Canada), located in Toronto, has announced a literary award in the name of the Canadian-Estonian writer Arved Viirlaid in honour of his 100th birthday. It will be handed out biennially on Viirlaid’s birthdate, April 11th, to an outstanding fictional written work that contains themes relating to Estonia and captures as well as conveys the essence of the country and its culture.
Not in keeping with this timeline, the first recipient will be announced and the award is given out at the end of this year at a conference during the Kreutzwald Days at the Estonian Literary Museum in Tartu. To be eligible for the award, the written work must have been published between January 2021 and August 2022. The deadline for nominating a candidate is August 31, 2022.
Candidates can be nominated by organizations and individuals, including members of the jury. To apply, a letter stating the reason why the work deserves to receive the award along with the nominated work or a copy of it must be submitted to VEMU.
The recipient of the award will be determined by the jury, which includes these individuals: Tiina Kirss, Janika Kronberg, Sirje Olesk, Kaja Telmet, and Jaan Undusk. The award is sponsored by VEMU in the amount of 1500 euros.