Read Russia literary festival underway at London Book Fair

Read Russia, an initiative celebrating Russian literature and book culture, is underway as part of the London Book Fair, featuring panel discussions and talks from leading Russian writers and literary figures. Among those speaking at the event is award-winning writer and controversial political activist Zakhar Prilepin, writer Irina Muravyova, author Alexander Terekhov and Tolstoy biographer Pavel Basinsky.

Last year, Read Russia’s New York festival was surrounded by controversy when it was boycotted by award-winning Russian writer Mikhail Shishkin, who declined participation citing his refusal to associate himself with a “corrupt, criminal regime”. Read Russia is sponsored by Russia’s Federal Agency of Press and Mass Communications. Speaking to The Calvert Journal, founder of Read Russia, Peter Kaufman paid tribute to the festival and highlighted its particular relevance in light of political events in Russia. “If anything, people are now even more interested in Russia and learning about literature is a great way of learning about a place and culture. We haven’t encountered any problems in running the event in the last few months, and actually the people who we have taking part in Read Russia cover the entire political spectrum. We’re trying to run the organisation in a way that is completely free of politics.”

Although this year’s Read Russia event has not been subject to similar acts of protest, the recent political events in Russia and Ukraine have not left all participants unscathed. Prilepin, who was part of the presentation of the Big Book Prize last night, reported on Facebook yesterday that the film adaptation of his Sankya will be banned in Ukraine. An English translation of the novel has just been released.

Featuring translation awards, book launches and a round-table discussion about modern journalism, the events cover several facets of Russia’s literary culture. In addition to participating in the London Book Fair, Read Russia also includes a literary showcase, in which eminent writers will convene in bookshops and cultural centres across London to discuss their work.

Read Russia was founded in 2012 and is based in Moscow, London and New York. Its main goal is to support English-language translation and publication of Russian literature. Read Russia 2014 will run in London until 11 April.