By Edward Nawotka In today’s lead story Daniel Kalder writes about Russia’s Ad Marginem Press, a “underground” publisher of controversial and politically provocative works of fiction and nonfiction. Ad Marginem publisher Alexander Ivanov says the press may have something of an advantage in attracting an audience, in so far as “literature [in Russia] may still -– as it did in …
Notes from the Underground: Indie Publishing in Putin’s Russia
By Daniel Kalder MOSCOW: Back in 1993 a group of philosophers from the Russian Academy of Sciences formed Ad Marginem Press in Moscow. Their plan was simple: to publish translations of late 20th century Western philosophy that had been unavailable in the USSR, alongside works of contemporary Russian fiction. After 70 years of totalitarianism Russians were hungry for new ideas …
Review: The Golden Calf by Ilya Ilf and Evgeny Petrov
Reviewed by Gwendolyn Dawson The Golden Calf, a classic Russian novel now available in a new English translation by Konstantin Gurevich and Helen Anderson, published by Open Letter Books, is an exuberant road trip story, a financial thriller, an examination of the criminal underworld, and a social commentary, all rolled into one package. The story spans the era of Lenin’s …
The “Lost” Books of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
By Daniel Kalder When Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn died at aged 89 in August 2008, his reputation had been in flux for a long time. Even so, while most obituaries acknowledged the power and significance of The Gulag Archipelago and his novel One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, he was nevertheless dogged to the grave by accusations of anti-Semitism, reactionary …
Bonus Material: A Short History of Turkmen Literature
By Daniel Kalder Turkmen literature began in the 18th century, thanks to Makhtumkuli (1733- 1813) who composed mournful, painful poems about injustice, the decline of morals and the general harshness of life. Then came poets such as Mollanepes and Kemine whose works remain popular among Turkmen today. Makhtumkuli’s own poetry remained totally unknown in the West until the mid-1990s, when …
Russia Predicting 20% Drop in Book Sales in 2009
By Chad Post “Market Trends in Russia and Digital Publishing” was the topic of Wednesday’s Business Breakfast, kicking off a hectic few days of Professional Programs at the Fair with an introduction to the contemporary publishing scene in Russia. Vladimir Grigoriev, the Deputy Head for the Federal Agency of Press and Mass Communication, presented a lot of summary data, using …
Global Trade Talk: Too Early for Christmas; Harper’s It Publisher, Moscow Loves Lectures
By Edward Nawotka The Target superstore near my house has already put its Halloween merchandise on sale and moved it to make room for…Christmas cards and holiday wreaths. This is the earliest I can ever remember a retailer pushing Christmas product. It’s dismaying, and I’m not alone in feeling so. Earlier this month, Innocent Madawo wrote in the Toronto Sun …
Global Trade Talk: Russia Over-Publishes, 1M Cool-er Sales, Brazil Book Fair Begins
By Hannah Johnson Publishing Trends reports that the Russian publishers are struggling, not only because of the economy, but also from the effects of over-publishing. Coping with bookstore returns and warehousing the unsold inventory, distributors are having trouble paying publishers, which financially impacts agents and authors as well. The growth of foreign investments in Russia’s publishing sector could mean a …
Global Trade Talk: The Fight for Bologna’s Fourth Day, LBF Highlights Russia in 2011
By Edward Nawotka The Bologna Children’s Book Fair may be forced to reinstate its fourth day following protests from international publishers, reports The Bookseller. Fair organizers decided to shorten the event from four days to three without consulting exhibitors, or without a reduction of fees. Numerous publishers have refused to pay deposits for next year exhibits until the fourth day …
German Buch News: Books are #3 in Online Shopping Popularity
By Siobhan O’Leary A recent survey conducted by Bitkom (the German Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media), published in the Boersenblatt, reveals that books are the third most popular products purchased online. Plane and train tickets were first, while concert tickets came in second. According to Bitkom, 35% of those surveyed have purchased a book online. Music landed …