Jaanus Vaiksoo

Jaanus Vaiksoo (born 1967) is an Estonian children's writer, literary scholar, teacher and translator. He is best known for his writing for children; his book King nr 39 won the annual children's literature award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia and was included in the international White Ravens catalogue for 2020. In 2025 he was awarded the Order of the White Star, V Class.

Alongside fiction, Vaiksoo has published literary scholarship on August Gailit and other Estonian authors, compiled literary anthologies, and translated works by Leo Perutz and Ernst Jandl into Estonian.

Early life and education Vaiksoo was born in Paide. He later continued his studies in literary scholarship at the University of Greifswald, the University of Vienna and the University of Tampere. From 2008 to 2012 he was the literary theory and criticism editor of the journal Keel ja Kirjandus, and from 2015 he has served as editor-in-chief of the magazine Eesti Jahimees. He has been a member of the Estonian Writers' Union since 2005. He has also co-written an ABC book with Sirje Toomla, written scripts for the ETV children's programme Saame kokku Tomi juures, and written the libretto for the boys' choir adventure opera Kastanid tulest by Andres Lemba.

Among his most discussed books are the verse collection Supipotikarneval (2012) and the adventure novel King nr 39 (2019). Supipotikarneval won the annual children's literature award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia for 2012, while King nr 39 won the same award for 2019 and was also selected as a Good Children's Book. In 2020 the book was included in the White Ravens catalogue published by the International Youth Library in Munich.

Honours and awards Vaiksoo received the Karl Eduard Sööt Children's Poetry Award for Kellassepaproua, and in 2006 the ABC book he co-authored with Sirje Toomla received third place in the Best European Schoolbooks competition. He won the Cultural Endowment of Estonia's annual children's literature award for Supipotikarneval and again for King nr 39. In 2025 he was awarded the Order of the White Star, V Class.

Selected works Selected works by Vaiksoo include: Gailit ja Nipernaadi (1995) Neli hommikut ja üks õhtu (2000) Kellassepaproua (2003) Jaagupi esimene koolisügis (2005) Lumemöll (2005) Supipotikarneval (2012) Kolm sügist (2017) Miku ja Mirjami kuus kummalist kohtumist (2018) King nr 39 (2019) King nr 40 (2020) King nr 41 (2022)