The man fought the soviets on the Finnish side during WWII. Commissioned as a Finnish army officer, the British secret services recruited him to be parachuted back into Estonia to help a post-war resistance movement against occupying Soviet forces. His training at Wimbledon in England as an operative was betrayed by a high placed Soviet mole in British intelligence and the operation abandoned.

In all likelihood, author and poet Arved Viirlaid is one of the most translated Estonian authors, ever. And rightly so. He knows of what he writes.

Some books have been required reading for youngsters in Estonian supplementary schools. His “Grave Without Crosses” was chosen by the Baltic community 30 years ago as a presentation to all Canadian M.P.’s and Senators at the first Baltic Evening on Parliament Hill. This bell-wether Evening developed into yearly functions, eagerly awaited by Canadian politicians, serving as a potent forum to tender Canadian Baltic community concerns to Canadian decision makers and public opinion leaders.

Viirlaid’s wide popularity stems not only from adventuresome personal experiences and intimate knowledge but an ability to create plots eliciting the reader’s emotions. His characters are vividly real, with soul-searching self-conflicts. The author’s themes in numerous works are not apocryphal and oftne recount tales ofa peoples’ oppression, struggles against adversity. This would normally lend feelings of bitterness and pessimism to his books. But rather he celebrates man’s ability to endure and survive, focussing on man’s inner strength at moments of life and death.

Not through any cynicism, Viirlaid rejected to accept a high state decoration bestowed by the Estonian president some years ago. His refusal was clearly idealistic, seeing the long-suffering Estonian people not yet benefitting from newly found freedom, while witnessing former corrupt communist functionaries driven by self-aggrandizement gaining financially superior positions in society.

This same idealism kept him active in the International PEN Club not only as a writer, but also promoting the cause of justice and freedom for those oppressed, for colleagues worldwide whose works were banned in their homelands.

This writer has had the privilege to personally hear Viirlaid detail incidents in his life. With faultless memory, he colours the narration with self-deprecating humour. For instance, his internment by the British at Wimbledon, was not filled with dreadful, boring days waiting for covert operations training, but inspired him to write his first novel, “Year of the Storm”.

The anxious anticipation of danger didn’t spawn frustration, rather creativity. His reminiscences are nostalgic, laced with a deceptive fondness for his gruff British military overlords.

He’s been prolific. Novels include “Rain for the River”, “Fading Lights”, “The Dead Don’t Matter”, “Seven Days of Judgment”. Poetry volumes include: “A Vagabond’s Gospel”, “Frosted Mirrors”, “Hand in Hand”. This is only a sprinkling of Viirlaid’s output for which has been recognized by several literary awards.

Absent of pomp and circumstance, Viirlaid marked his eightieth birthday in April. We observe this eightieth by fervidly revving up for his next book!

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