Mikhail Veller

The image of Mikhail Veller with the Nevsky Prospect on the background is used for the audio-book Legends of Nevsky Prospect. It shows how Veller wants the readers to percept the author of one of his most notable work

Mikhail Iosifovich Veller (also rendered Weller) (Russian: Михаи́л Ио́сифович Ве́ллер) (born May 20, 1948) is a Russian writer.

Mikhail Veller was born in Kamianets-Podilskyi, Ukrainian SSR, USSR (modern day Ukraine) in 1948. In 1972 he graduated with a degree in linguistics from Leningrad University. He worked as a children's summer camp counselor, hunter in Taimyr, shepherd in Altai mountains, logger, journalist, teacher: a total of approximately 30 professions.

Veller's first book, a selection of short stories titled I Want To Be A Yard-Sweeper, was published in Estonia in 1983, followed by Heart Breaker (1988), Technology of a Short Story (1989), Rendezvous with a Celebrity (1990). A Novel of Upbringing and Adventures of Major Zvyagin (1991) became bestsellers, along with "The Legends of Nevsky Prospect" (1993). His book Everything about Life is a book about how the world works, why a person never has what he needs, and why happiness is not achievable but should be sought (his later book Cassandra updates this philosophy). His mini-novel The Knife of Seryozha Dovlatov created a literary scandal. The last bestseller, Courier from Pisa (2000),^[1] has had 11 editions.

In Everything about Life Veller repeated Ernest Hemingway's words: "There are people who want to want to know everything and those who are sick of what they already know. The latter say nothing to prevent things from turning for the worse, while the former interfere in all, hoping to make things better." Veller proclaims himself to be with the former kind.

Veller has lectured on modern Russian prose in the universities of Milan, Jerusalem and Copenhagen.

In his free time, Veller lives in Moscow but continues to work in Tallinn. His hobbies include target shooting.

English Translations

• The Guru

References

• Veller's biography

Notes

1. ^ In Russian, "Courier from Pisa" ("Гонец из Пизы") is a euphemism meaning "fuck-up", or "fucking disaster", substituting for the Russian word "пиздец" (pizdets), derived from a Russian word meaning "cunt".

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Name	Veller
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Date of birth	May 20, 1948
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