Heiti Talvik's father was a family doctor based in Tartu and his mother was a pianist.

[1] In 1923 he left the school early and initially sought work in oil shale mining at Kohtla-Järve.

During that time he wrote poetry which was published in the literary magazine Looming (Creation), then edited by Friedebert Tuglas.

In 1934, after the publication of the poetry collection Palavik (Fever), he became one of the most famous Estonian poets and a member of the writers group Arbujad (Shaman).

[4] With the occupation of Estonia by the Soviet Union, Heiti Talvik was deported to Siberia in May 1945, never to be heard of again.