Panga-Rehe Stories

Juri Arrak

50 Watts Books

Panga-Rehe Stories, text and illustrations by Jüri Arrak, translated by Adam Cullen, published by 50 Watts Books / ISBN 9781957625034 / 20-page illustrated book, 8 x 9.5 inches, staple-bound, offset color printing / publication date is 12/1/2022, advance copies now shipping

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The first English-language edition of a surreal 1975 book by the Estonian artist Jüri Arrak (perhaps best known in the US for his work on the legendary animation Suur Tõll ). "Panga-Rehe Farmstead" is an old house where the artist and his family spent the summer. "The days passed as wonderful summer days always do: we sunbathed, swam in the sea, hiked in the forest, and all helped to cook in the big kitchen. But every night, I had strange dreams. I believe you probably haven't had some of them yet, and that's why I wrote this book."

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“The Shutter-Closer had a strange appearance, somewhat human-like, somewhat animal-like, but neither when put together. She was yellow and tall, her head almost brushing the eaves. And what a strange wavy shape her body made! I wasn’t afraid at all, but sputtered in laughter. The Shutter-Closer stopped, turned her head to look at me, and stared for a very, very long time with bright red eyes.”--from Panga-Rehe Stories

Jüri Arrak (1936-2022) was an Estonian painter and graphic artist. His works are displayed in the Estonian Museum of Art, the New York Museum of Modern Art, the New Orleans Museum of Art, and the Ludwig Art Museum in Cologne, Germany.

Adam Cullen is a professional translator of Estonian prose, poetry, drama, and children’s literature into English. His translation of Martin Algus’s The Lion won the 2022 BBC Audio Drama Awards and a Prix Europa Special Commendation. In 2020, his translation of Kai Aareleid’s Burning Cities (Peter Owen Publishers) was long-listed for the International Dublin Literary Award. Originally from Minnesota, Cullen has lived in Estonia for 15 years.