The 2025 laureates of the Tuglas Short Story Award are fs and Silvia Urgas

On Friedebert Tuglas’s 140th birthday, the Tuglas Short Story Award, presented at the Under and Tuglas Literary Institute Museum, was awarded to fs for the short story „Stefan“ (published in Vikerkaar, no. 9) and Silvia Urgas for „Eestimaa puit“ (published in Looming, no. 1).

The jury consisted of Piret Jaaks (chair), Iris Eelmaa, Kadri Kõusaar, Ülar Ploom, and Paul Raud.

According to the jury, the winning stories stood out for their powerful imagery and compelling narrative quality, offering both a socially critical perspective and a sense of humour. In Urgas’s story, the jury particularly appreciated the expansion of genre boundaries, while in fs’s work they highlighted its aesthetic punchline and artistic resolution.

Established by Friedebert Tuglas in 1971, the award is being presented for the 56th time and is the longest-running continuously awarded literary prize in Estonia. To date, the prestigious distinction has been awarded to 110 Estonian short stories.

The award is presented by the Estonian Writers’ Union in cooperation with the Under and Tuglas Literary Institute of the Estonian Academy of Sciences and is funded by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.

The photo gallery can be found HERE.