Jaan Kaplinski

He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Jaan Kaplinski studied at Hugo Treffner Gymnasium and University of Tartu. The recorded working language is Spanish, English and Russian. The field of work recorded is poetry, philosophy and cultural criticism. Employment is recorded with University of Tartu. Positions recorded include member of the Riigikogu. Works named in the authority record are The Same River. Distinctions recorded are Order of the National Coat of Arms, 3rd Class, Vilenica Prize, Eino Leino Prize and Max Jacob Prize.

• Born — 22 January 1941 • Birthplace — Tartu, then part of Estonian SSR, Soviet Union • Died — 8 August 2021 • Website — http: jaan.kaplinski.com/index.html • Notable Works — Letter of 40 intellectuals The Same River • Awards — Baltic Assembly Prize for Literature, the Arts and Science • Illustration — Jaan Kaplinski performing during Tallinn Literature Festival in May 2009

Kaplinski was born 22 January 1941 in Tartu to Polish teacher Jerzy Kapliński and Estonian dancer Nora Raudsepp-Kaplinski. Kaplinski studied Romance languages and linguistics under Kallista Kann at the University of Tartu, graduating as a French philologist in 1964.

Kaplinski worked as a translator, editor, and sociologist, and ecologist at the Tallinn Botanic Garden.

From 1992 to 1995 Kaplinski was a member of the Riigikogu (the Estonian parliament), representing the Estonian Social Democratic Party. He was originally elected on the Centre Party list, but soon became an independent member of parliament. From 2004, he was a member of the Estonian Social Democratic Party. In the 2005 local elections, he ran in Tartu and was the ESDP's leading candidate on its list. Kaplinski was elected as the second candidate on the Social Democratic Party list, receiving 1,045 votes. Jaan Kaplinski was one of the intellectuals who supported Toomas Hendrik Ilves's candidacy.

Kaplinski's mother, Nora (Raudsepp), was Estonian. His father was Jerzy Bonifacy Edward Kapliński, a Polish professor of philology at Tartu University, who was arrested by Soviet troops and died of starvation in a Soviet labour camp in 1943. His great-uncle was Polish painter and political activist Leon Kapliński. As an adult, Kaplinski came to believe that his father had distant Jewish ancestry, and was a relative of Jacob Frank. Kaplinski was married to writer and director of the Tartu Toy Museum, Tiia Toomet. They had three sons and one daughter - Ott-Siim Toomet, Lauris Kaplinski, Lemmit Kaplinski and Elo-Mall Toomet. He had a daughter, translator Maarja Kaplinski, from his first marriage to Küllike Kaplinski. He had a relationship with Estonian classical philologist and translator Anne Lill, with whom he had a son, composer Märt-Matis Lill.

• The East West Border... The Same Sea in Us All (Barbarian Press, 1985) (translated by the author with Sam Hamill) • The Wandering Border (Copper Canyon Press, 1987) (translated by the author with Sam Hamill and Riina Tamm) • Evening Brings Everything Back (Bloodaxe, 2004) • Contributor to A New Divan: A Lyrical Dialogue between East and West (Gingko Library, 2019)

His recorded languages were Spanish, English, Russian and Estonian. He was the child of Jerzy Kaplinski and Nora Kaplinski. He married Tiia Toomet. 4 children are recorded: Märt-Maris Lill, Lauris Kaplinski, Elo-Mall Toomet and Lemmit Kaplinski.

Jaan Kaplinski worked in poetry, philosophy and cultural criticism. He was employed by University of Tartu. Recorded position is member of the Riigikogu.

Jaan Kaplinski is recorded as having received Order of the National Coat of Arms, 3rd Class, Vilenica Prize and Eino Leino Prize.