Estonia's Year of the Estonian Book is not being celebrated for the first time. "The tradition began in 1935, when the 400th anniversary of what was then considered the first known book in Estonian — the catechism by Wanradt and Koell — was celebrated. Various book- and literature-related events took place across Estonia and one of the primary goals of the first Year of the Book was to appreciate our native-language book culture, to engage in what was then positively referred to as 'book propaganda,' and to bring the Estonian-language book, as a cornerstone of culture, more widely into public consciousness," said Unt.

Now, in 2025, the 500th anniversary of the Estonian-language book is being celebrated, as research conducted a few decades after the first Year of the Book revealed the existence of an Estonian-language printed work that predates Wanradt and Koell's catechism by ten years. "This discovery was made by the German scholar Wilhelm Jannasch while studying the history of the Reformation in Lübeck. Among other things, he examined the protocol books of Lübeck's cathedral dean Johannes Brandes, which revealed that as early as 1525, a barrel of Lutheran books was confiscated in Lübeck, including printed works in both Estonian and Latvian," Unt explained.

This year's celebration of the Year of the Book begins on January 30, a date that has in recent years been officially observed as Estonian Literature Day. "Since this 500-year milestone is so significant and symbolic, it was decided that the Year of the Book should be celebrated for a bit longer — 14 months instead of a single year — concluding on another day of great importance for our language and culture: Mother Tongue Day on March 14, 2026."

Many of the Year of the Book events will be organized by libraries across Estonia, with more than 500 events planned in honor of the 500th anniversary. According to Katre Riisalu, vice-chair of the Estonian Librarians' Association, special attention is being paid to highlighting the local aspects of each library's community. "The focus can vary widely, from the oldest printed works to photographs, postcards, local celebrities or folklore — similar exhibitions were held across Estonia in 1935," she explained. Additionally, a year-long series of events dedicated to the Estonian alphabet will be launched to honor the written Estonian language, with each month focusing on two letters as the theme for associated events.

In addition to libraries, schools and teachers, in collaboration with the Association of Estonian Language Teachers, will also play an important role. Other major organizations involved include the Estonian Literary Museum, the Institute of the Estonian Language, the Estonian Writers' Union, the National Library of Estonia, the Estonian National Museum, universities and more.

The Estonian Publishers' Association has also initiated a campaign encouraging young people to read in Estonian. "The younger generation tends to read more in English than in Estonian. The goal is to encourage young people to value both Estonian-language literature and translated literature and to turn their attention more toward books in Estonian," Unt explained. Additionally, a series of events in collaboration with the Writers' Union will focus on the challenges faced by Estonian writers and literature. "On one hand, the Year of the Estonian Book allows us to celebrate our 500-year-old book culture, but we also need to discuss the issues and concerns that exist," said the event organizer.

"The aim is to get people — not just those in literary circles — to think about what a 500-year-old tradition of books in our native language actually means. I can't expect that Estonians will suddenly start reading significantly more overnight—such a shift is not achieved in just one year. But if we can bring greater awareness to the value of the Estonian-language book and demonstrate what it means in the context of our national identity, then I believe we will have achieved quite a lot," said Unt.

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