The Southern Hemisphere Estonian Book Club (Lõunapoolkera Lugemisklubi) is kicking off its second virtual literary event — and this time, our guest is none other than one of Estonia’s most distinctive contemporary writers, Urmas Vadi, who will join us to talk about his award-winning novel Kuu teine pool (The Other Side of the Moon).
In the lead-up to the event, Urmas Vadi kindly answered several questions from HEIA, sharing thoughts on writing, life and what “home” means to him. It’s not every day our readers get to hear directly from an author whose humour, humanity and oddball charm have made him one of Estonia’s best-loved literary voices.
From Sydney rain to literary acclaim
Imagine a rainy Sydney afternoon. You’ve just landed, hopeful for beaches and sunshine, but instead find yourself stepping off a bus into grey drizzle on Anzac Parade. That was Urmas Vadi’s very first impression of Australia back in the mid-2000s, when he arrived as one of the early Estonian backpackers with a Working Holiday Visa. His memory is still sharp: the plane sprayed down before landing (“to kill off any unwelcome microbes”), the apartment key in hand, and the shock of rain instead of Bondi.
This October, Vadi returns to Australia in a different way — through our screens, as the special guest of the Southern Hemisphere Book Club.
Event details
📅 Date & time: Sunday, 26 October 2025
🕕 6.00 pm Sydney & Melbourne | 🕒 5.00 pm Brisbane | 🕒 3.00 pm Perth | 🕖 8.00 pm New Zealand
💻 Where: Zoom link here. Meeting ID: 861 5805 1811 | Passcode: 855791
🗣 Event language: Estonian
📖 The Other Side of the Moon is available in print (Apollo, Rahva Raamat) and as an audiobook (Rahva Raamat app).
A book that feels like life itself
The Other Side of the Moon is a story of family — how its love, patterns and fractures ripple across decades. It’s funny, painful and instantly recognisable (“like your own life, but better written,” as one Estonian reader quipped).
Asked what he hopes readers take away, Vadi replies:
“Maybe a sense of lightness. Things are as they are, but we can change our patterns and behaviours. Life is serious, but we don’t always need to take ourselves too seriously.”
That delicate balance — humour meeting heart — is what makes his writing so memorable.
The novel has also been showered with accolades, winning Aasta Raamat 2024 for Best Estonian Fiction, the People’s Choice Award, and Estonia’s oldest literary prize — the Eduard Vilde Award.
The many hats (and awards) of Urmas Vadi
Born in Tartu in 1977, Urmas Vadi is a novelist, playwright, radio host and theatre director — a creative powerhouse whose career spans more than 25 years. His works often blend the absurd with the deeply human, offering witty yet thoughtful reflections on modern life.
The Other Side of the Moon is his fifth novel, following Letters to Aunt Anne (2010), Back to Estonia (2012), Neverland (2017) and Balletmeister (2019). The latter reimagined Estonia’s 1940s through comical and surreal adventures and went on to win the Virumaa Literary Prize.
Over the years, Vadi has received some of Estonia’s most prestigious literary and theatre honours, including the Friedebert Tuglas Short Story Award, the Literature Endowment Annual Award, the Tallinn University Literary Prize, and the title of Writer of the Year. He’s also been recognised as a Culture Carrier of Tartu and continues to contribute to Estonian public broadcasting as a creator of literary and cultural programs.
With his trademark humour, Vadi explores memory, relationships, identity, and the small absurdities that shape everyday life — the very qualities that have earned him a loyal following both at home and abroad.
“No ghosts at home”
When HEIA asked Urmas about his favourite place in Estonia, he didn’t hesitate: home.
“My favourite place is my home. I live in Tammelinn, Tartu, and six years ago we bought an old house there, which we almost completely demolished and then rebuilt. When we first came to look at the house, my very first thought was: what does it feel like here, are there any ghosts? I went through all the rooms, and everything was clean — no ghosts at all!”
It’s an answer that captures his characteristic humour — everyday, a touch philosophical, and entirely human.
Why join?
Because this isn’t just a book talk — it’s a shared moment of Estonian language, reflection and laughter across time zones and continents, under the same moon. Bring your copy of the book, a glass of wine or a cup of tea, and join in. Pajamas or evening wear — it makes no difference on Zoom.
We’ll meet Urmas Vadi where he writes best: at the crossroads of humour and truth. Come join us. Everyone welcome — even if you haven’t read the book yet.
👉 Join the Zoom meeting on 26 October at 6.00 pm (or your local time) — no registration needed!
Useful links
📝 Read about Urmas Vadi and his book in Estonian here. More in English here or here.
📖 Southern Hemisphere Estonian Book Club launches with a literary star – Kristiina Ehin
📚 Year of the Estonian Book information
Acknowledgement
This book club event is made possible thanks to the joint contribution and support of the Estonian societies of Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and the Gold Coast.
Thank you to Urmas Vadi for answering our questions and Ave Nukki for making this happen!
Books. Banter. A touch of homesickness. And a whole lot of heart. That’s the Southern Hemisphere Estonian Book Club for you!
