A story with a happy ending from a fan of the My... book series
Meelike Eenpuu-Villup is an Estonian who lives in the Netherlands and teaches Estonian to adults in the Estonian School of Amsterdam. She has published three books, most recently, My Netherlands (2023) explored the bizarre aspects of this famous and strange country, presented local customs and reflected complicated family relationships, as well as the difficulties of learning Dutch. The identity war between several languages and cultures was resolved with a compromise: Meelike still speaks English to her Dutch husband.
I grew up in a typical Soviet Estonian home, where bookshelves and cabinets were overflowing with books. After all, at that time, books were bought by the bagful, print runs were huge and prices were small. My room was divided in two with a bookshelf – it also served as my father’s workshop. My father, who has now passed on to the other side, loved books very much. While visiting, when he became bored with the stories of others, he would calmly begin to explore what the hosts were reading. At home, he read books on the bed, lying comfortably on his stomach on a pillow. I copied this habit of his and still read that way to this day.
However, let’s be honest: although I grew up surrounded by books, I didn’t like to read at all as a child! I did complete my mandatory reading because, as a straight A student, I could not let ‘those stupid books’ to ruin my school report. I never went to the library either: we simply had all the books at home. All I had to do was go to my mother with the reading list, and she already knew on which shelf Nukitsamees was on or into which closet had Faust been slipped. I went to the library for the first time on a school trip, and I shied away from libraries for decades.
However, it happened that I did not become a rebellious teenager, but a book-loving reading maniac, who also found her way to the library. This is how I often comfort parents who complain about their children’s lukewarm interest in reading. It’s very likely to pass! Just look at me! Since then, I haven’t had a day without a book, or if so, maybe when I’m traveling. Travelling and books are two of the greatest passions of my life.
This brings me to my favourite publishing house. On 4 April, Petrone Print celebrated its 18th birthday. I clearly remember my first book in the My... series – I was just about to go to London as an au pair (the recession was picking up speed and my student loan needed to be paid somehow), and I received Tarvo Nõmme’s My Iceland as a present from a relative, who signed it, wishing me luck for my future adventures. And these adventures did indeed arrive...
With My Iceland in my suitcase, the snow of my homeland wiped off my boots, new countries to live in (England was followed by Ireland and then the Netherlands) – this is how I started reading the books in this series. Honestly, I was a huge fan from the very first book. To read about exciting countries and adventures, and in Estonian! Time for yourself, reading abroad in your own language – it is a luxury!
Of course, I dreamed that one day I would also write my own book in the My... series, but this dream seemed utopian! I was hoping that one day I would perhaps be able to meet the publishing house's founder, Epp Petrone, and, as a proper fan, list all the titles of the books I have read and maybe even ask her to sign the books. Sometimes dreams do come true after all. Today, I am Petrone Print’s marketing and social media assistant (or marketing hand and social medic, as we call this profession among ourselves). I’ve got my dream job, which means reading a lot of books, posting on social media and meeting a lot of cool people! I also have a great opportunity to take part in working behind the scenes in the publishing house – when I wrote a book myself, all my effort went into just writing the text. But how do editors, designers, printing houses work? How are new authors even selected? How does it feel to organise a book launch yourself?
Anyway, book launches are cool ventures, I’ve experienced it many times now. These meetings are warm, emotional and full of the joy of recognition.
I get the same sense of recognition from books. Every time I pick up a book in the My... series, it is as if I am reading someone’s biography – but I also find fragments of myself. The series has literally circled the globe. From Alaska to Antarctica, from Hawaii to Hongkong. There are places for which we are still looking for authors. And there are places that interest readers over and over again: e.g., Paris, France, Spain and Italy have been written about by several authors. There are also authors who have repeatedly written for the My... series. Stories of roots and cultural conflicts need writing down and new and inspiring books need publishing.
183 books have now been published in the My... series, just recently there was a joint launch for My Belgium and My Brussels. Lea Kreinin’s My Hungary is about to be published. Lea Kreinin is probably already familiar to readers here – she has lived in both Hungary and Scotland and is known among Global Estonians for her good spirits, wonderful nature, and interest in languages and cultures.
The book launch for My Hungary will be held in Tallinn (on 21 April in the Rahva Raamat bookshop in the Viru Keskus shopping centre, and 29 April in the Hungarian Institute of Tallinn) and in Tartu (on 23 April in the Apollo bookshop in the Tartu Kaubamaja department store). You are welcome to launches full of colour, spice and zest like peppers! The presentations can also be watched online, and we will then make them available under the media links on Petrone Print's website.
