ACADEMIA ROSSICA is committed to introducing the exciting work of contemporary Russian writers to readers abroad. As part of our involvement at the London Book Fair, we will be presenting our programme of grants and prizes, which offers support to translators and publishers from grass roots level through to project fruition.
Rossica Prize
This year, we received a record number of published translations submitted to the Rossica Prize, testament to renewed interest in Russian writers. We recently inaugurated the Rossica Young Translators Prize, which promotes contemporary Russian novels, as yet untranslated into English, and supports and encourages literary translation amongst young people. You are cordially invited to attend the shortlist announcement of both prizes, which will be held at the PEN Literary Cafe at the London Book Fair on Wednesday 22 April at 9.30am. We look forward to seeing you there!
ACADEMIA ROSSICA is the organizer of the Russian Stand at the LBF (Y505) and UK representative of Russian publishers and authors. For the second year running our stand will act as a gateway into the wealth of Russian publishing today. The Russian stand will be exhibiting books from Russia, both in their original and in translation and we will have special displays on:
- Russia’s literary prizes – The Big Book Prize, The Russian Booker, The National Bestseller, The Debut Prize and others
- The Best Book of 2008 (in conjunction with the Russian Publishing Association)
- Entries to the Rossica Prize and Rossica Young Translators Prize
Russian events at the LBF
Monday 20 April
| 12.30 pm
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Official opening of the Russian Stand (Y505)
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| 1 pm | Press conference Russian writer Ludmila Ulitskaya nominated for the International Booker Prize 2009 BOOKS FROM RUSSIA and Russian Literature Week in Britain. Speakers: Ludmila Ulitskaya (writer), Mikhail Seslavinsky (Head of the Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications), Vladimir Grigoriev (Deputy Head of the Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications) |
| 2 pm | Promoting Russian Literature Internationally - presentation by the “Russkiy mir” Foundation and the Yeltsin Foundation. Speakers: Alexander Drozdov (Director of the Yeltsin Foundation), Tatyana Bokova (Head of Literature, “Russkiy mir” Foundation), Irina Stepanova (Head of Education, “Russkiy mir” Foundation) |
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3.30 pm |
Seminar: The Russian Book Market in Transition: Crisis/Anticrisis. Speakers: Mr Vladimir Grigoriev (Deputy Head of the Russian Federal Agency for Press); Mr Oleg Bartenev (AST), Oleg Novikov (Eksmo), Arkady Vitruk (General Director of the Azbuka-Atticus Publishing Group) Venue: LBF, Thames Room |
Tuesday 21 April
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9.30 am |
Seminar: Russian National Reading Development Programme (2007-2017). Speakers: Mr Vladimir Grigoriev (Deputy Head of the Russian Federal Agency for Press), Viv Bird (Chief Executive of Booktrust), Dmitry Bykov (writer, Chief Editor of What to Read). Venue: LBF, Malborough Room |
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11 am–5 pm |
Russian authors in our Writers Lounge (Y505). An opportunity to meet and interview the people behind the writing. To ensure availability, please make an appointment with us at books@academia-rossica.org |
Wednesday 22 April
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9.30 am |
The Rossica Prize Breakfast and shortlist announcement of the Rossica Prize and Rossica Young Translators Prize. Meet the judges and contestants at the PEN Literary Café, right next to the Russian stand (Y505) Speakers: Alexander Drozdov (The Yeltsin Foundation), Robert Porter, Martin Dewhirst and Anthony Briggs (Rossica Prize Judges) |
| 11 am |
Presentation: Russia’s book prizes. Speakers: Vladimir Grigoriev, Olga Slavnikova, Gleb Morev, Alexander Arkhangelsky and Roza Khatskelevich. Venue: Writers Lounge at the Russian Stand. |
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1 pm |
Seminar: New Russian Writers – Return of The Great Russian Novel?Speakers: Dmitry Bykov (writer, Chief Editor of What to Read), Mikhail Shishkin (writer),Lev Danilkin (literary critic) Venue: LBF, Wellington Room |
| 2.30 pm |
Russian writers living in London discuss their latest work. Speakers:Lydia Grigorieva and Marina Buvaylo. Venue: Writers Lounge at the Russian Stand. |
Special Guests
6 award-winning Russian authors are coming to London to present their books at the London Book Fair and to meet their Russian and English readers during Russian Literature Week. On Tuesday 21 April, the second day of the London Book Fair, our stand will be devoted to these 6 writers. We invite you to come and meet the authors behind the literature. Please get in touch if you would like to arrange an interview.
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Dmitry Bykov – influential journalist, poet, writer and biographer of Pasternak who won the Big Book Prize in 2007. His novel, 'ЖД', will shortly be published in English. |
the perfect introduction to the Russian intellectual experience: a complex, changeable giant, witty and erudite, passionate and sorrowful. When you've talked to Bykov, you know you've had a real conversation.– Nick Harkaway |
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Alexander Terekhov – his writing about Russia's armed forces and the effects of perestroika have been widely acclaimed.
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I like The Rat-Killer... I always do like these sardonic Russian tales - a genre on their own - that take satire to its extreme – Doris Lessing
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Maria Galina –a noted poet, a thoughtful critic, and translator of English and American science fiction.
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Her novels equally appeal to lovers of magic realism and ironic urban prose. . . . Exquisite and readable at the same time–The Book Review
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Vladimir Makanin – writer with a long-standing literary reputation, his latest novel, 'Асан', won the Big Book Prize last year. |
Because he depicts their struggles so believably and poignantly, even in the context of fantastic plots, Makanin will appeal to a wide variety of readers Harvey Pekar
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Olga Slavnikova – her compelling novel '2017' won the Russian Booker Prize in 2007. |
This enigmatic, frenetic, interesting, naive, enchanting, determined, heartrending book is one you have to read and allow it to move you. Once again we are dealing with real prose – Andrei Nemzer
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Mikhail Shishkin – though he lives abroad, Shishkin is at the forefront of modern Russian writing; his novel 'Венерин Волос' won the 2006 Big Book Prize. |
Shishkin is one of the most gifted writers on the Russian literary scene, even more so because, regardless of the fashion, he has succeeded in developing his own original style and literary conception –Ulrich Schmidt
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Please join us at our stand (Y505) or for our seminars to discover more about what new Russian writing has to offer. We look forward to seeing you!
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