This year, the Crosses of Merit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are awarded to diplomats and partners from Estonia and beyond for their notable contribution to the Estonian foreign service, foreign policy objectives and Estonian statehood.

Sofi Oksanen received the Cross of Merit, Second Class, by virtue of having raised awareness of Estonian history, and boosting Estonia’s profile internationally, through her writing.

Anders Rydell’s The Book Thieves has been nominated for the much distinguished Hislibris Historical Literature Awards in the category Best Historical Non-fiction.

Hislibris is the largest community of history bloggers in Spain, and each year, its members vote for their favorite books. The winner of each category will then be chosen by a jury consisting of members of the Hispanic community.

Moa Herngren (b.1969) is the Swedish author of the gripping and highly acclaimed relationship dramas The Mother-in-Law and The Divorce. These page-turners have ignited heated debates in book clubs and living rooms across the country on which of their protagonists are most deserving of the reader’s sympathies. Herngren is also a journalist, former editor-in-chief of Elle Magazine and a highly sought-after manuscript writer. She is notably the co-creator and writer of Netflix hit-show Bonus Family. With her special affinity for the intricacies of complicated family dynamics and a high relatability factor permeating her work, she is undoubtedly the one to watch in her genre.

Angelika Abramovitch began her film career in London in 2012 with her award-winning short film The Horse. She then started to experiment with short films, music videos and art projects which brought a certain finesse and strength to her visual style as a director.

Abramovitch’s time at the media company VICE & i-D briefly got her into documentary filmmaking. Her documentary short PAPPA was shortlisted for the Swedish Academy Awards in 2019.

Abramovitch graduated from Stockholm University of the Arts in 2021 and she is soon to finish her studies at Alma Löv Script Academy. She is the recipient of the 2021 Nordic Talent Special Mention Award and a Wild Card development fund for her upcoming feature film, A Soviet Love Story. Abramovitch’s graduation film Tjejtoan 4-ever/Catcave Hysteria premiered at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in 2022 and was shortlisted for the Swedish Academy Awards. In 2022 she was also selected for Future Frames at KVIFF and was a part of Les Arcs Talent Village.

Currently, Abramovitch is working on a film exhibition for The Nordic Museum which will be exhibited in 2023, and her debut feature film The Braid with the production company Cinenic Film. This year she will also start developing the TV series The Snake Pit together with Hannah Arnesen and the production company Most Alice.

With a sense of rhythm and a strong visual style, Abramovitch’s films explore the boundaries between the ugly and the beautiful, pleasure and pain. With a craving for blood, and always a unique style.