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ACADEMIA ROSSICA (London/Moscow) is a cultural organisation set up in 2000 to promote and strengthen cultural and intellectual ties between Russia and the English-speaking world.

We are committed to introducing the exciting work of contemporary Russian writers to readers abroad. We support translators and publishers from grass roots level through to project fruition with a system of grants and prizes. We offer translation grants to publishers and translators for forthcoming projects, as well as rewarding the work of translators, budding and established, with our translation prizes. Last 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.

As the official UK representative of Russian publishers and authors and organizer of the Russian Stand at the LBF, for the third year running our stand will act as a gateway into the wealth of the Russian publishing world today. The Russian stand will be exhibiting books from Russia, both in their original and in translation.



Please join us at our stands (Y455 and Y435) or for our seminars to discover more about what new Russian writing has to offer. We look forward to seeing you!



LBF 2010 Russian programme


19 April, Monday – Publishers Day

11.00 – Official opening of the BOOKS FROM RUSSIA (stand Y455, EC2) by the Ambassador of the Russian Federation H.E. Mr Yury Fedotov, Vladimir Grigoriev, Deputy Head of the Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications and Svetlana Adjoubei, director of Academia Rossica

11.30 - Press Conference with Vladimir Grigoriev, Dmitry Bykov, Sergey Lukyanenko, Olga Slavnikova and other Russian guests (Y455)

12.00 - Presentation of the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Centre's publishing programme 'History of Stalinism' by director Alexander Drozdov (Y455)

12.30 - Presentation of the All Russia State Library for Foreign Literature's publishing programme by director Ekaterina Genieva. (Y455)

13.00 - Presentation of the Moscow Kremlin Museum multimedia project 'The Kremlin; the Secret of Power' by Inna Lipatova, CulturaLab (Y455)

14.30 – Seminar: Who Rules The Russian Book Market Today? Vladimir Grigoriev, Deputy Head of the Russian Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications interviewed by Svetlana Adjoubei, Academia Rossica. (Marlborough Room)

17.00 – Reception at the BOOKS FROM RUSSIA stand – an opportunity to meet with key Russian publishers and authors. Russian authors attending include Dmitry Bykov, Sergei Lukyanenko, Marina Galina, Vladimir Sharov, Olga Slavnikova and Lev Danilkin. (Y455)


20 April, Tuesday – Authors Day

10.00 – Seminar: Between Realism and Mysticism – Contemporary Russian Fiction – Speakers: Lev Danilkin, Olga Slavnikova, Maria Galina, Vladimir Sharov (Marlborough Room)

11.30 - Presentation of the Russkaya Premiya Prize, awarded to Russian-speaking writers living outside Russia. Speakers: Tatyana Voskovskaya, prize coordinator;Sergey Chuprinin, chairman of the jury; 2009 prize winners - Aleksandr Kabanov and Sergei Timofeyev; Aleksandr Drozdov, director of the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Centre (Y455)

12.15 - Presentation - 'Leo Tolstoy's Heritage - 100 years on' by Vladimir Tolstoy, great great grandson of the writer and director of the Yasnaya Polyana museum estate. (Y455)

13.00 – Seminar: Two Visions of the Future- Sergei Lukyanenko and Dmitry Bykov interviwed by Bridget Kendall, BBC (Marlborough Room)

14.30 – Seminar: Voices from the Future – The Debut Prize for New Russian Writers. Speakers: Olga Slavnikova, Andrei Skoch, Natalia Perova, winners of the Debut Prize (Marlborough Room)

16.00 – The Debut Prize Reception and Press Conference. All are invited (Y455)


21 April, Wednesday – Translators Day

10.00 – The Rossica Translation Prize Special Commendation presented to Stanley Mitchell.
Rossica Young Translators Award 2010 Speakers: Alexander Drozdov, Robert Chandler, Oliver Ready, Amanda Love Darragh, Svetlana Adjoubei (PEN Literary Café, EC2)

12.00 – Russian Translators’ Forum. Speakers include Alexander Drozdov, Oliver Ready, Robert Chandler, Amanda Love Darragh, Svetlana Adjoubei (Y455)

13.30 Presentations 'Famous Englishmen Known Only in Russia' and 'Misreading English Literature - A few true stories from Soviet translations' by Victor Sonkin and Alexandra Borisenko (Y455)

15.00 - The Enthusiast Award presented by the New Millennium Foundation to Mary Hobson, poet and translator. Speaker ; director Umuta Kemelbekova

16.00 – Market Focus Handover Ceremony & Champagne Reception. Speakers: Alistair Burtenshaw, Vladimir Grigoriev and Dmitry Bykov. Join us for a celebration of Russia - Market Focus 2011! (Y455)


Please visit www.academia-rossica.org for more details on Russian events at LBF 2010 and to keep up to date with our programme leading up to 2011




SPEAKER PROFILES

Vladimir Grigoriev

Vladimir Grigoriev is Deputy Head of the Russian Federal Agency for the Press and Mass Communications and he is a tireless campaigner and champion of Russian literature and culture at all the world's major book fairs: he has famously said, ‘Russian literature should know no boundaries’. Born in 1958, Vladimir Grigoriev worked as an editor for the Novosti news agency from 1982 to 1990, after which he founded and headed the publishing house Vagrius. Vladimir Grigoriev has worked unflaggingly to promote and support the publication of Russian books and the protection of authorial rights during the difficult, transitional period from the old publishing protocol inherited from the former Soviet Union to the establishment of a new, market-oriented, internationally recognized modus operandi. He has been honoured with prizes in recognition of his work for services to Russian publishing and the dissemination of literature and culture not only in the Russian Federation (2001), but also in Poland (2005) and in France (2006). Grigoriev is also one of the founders of the prestigious book prize ‘Bolshaia kniga' (‘Big Book') - the second largest cash award, after the Nobel Prize. His unique insights into the increasingly buoyant and expanding market for Russian books make him an extremely interesting and valuable speaker.


Lev Danilkin

Lev Danilkin, columnist for the Russian magazine, Afisha, is one of Russia most engaging literary critics and independent thinkers. Danilkin graduated from Moscow State University with a B.A. and PhD in philology. He is the former editor of Russian Playboy and is the author of several books, including ‘The Parthian Arrow’ (2006), ‘Circular journeys round the intestines of a beggar’ (2007) and a biography of the writer Alexander Prokhanov ‘The Egg Man. The Life and Opinions of Alexander Prokhanov’. Danilkin has also translated Julian Barnes’ series of essays, ‘Letters from London’.


Olga Slavnikova

Olga Slavnikova was born into a family of aerospace engineers near Sverdlovsk in the Urals, modern day Ekaterinburg. After finishing school she studied journalism and graduated from Ekaterinburg State University. Slavnikova began publishing fiction in the late 1980s (her first novel appeared in 1988), during which time she was also fiction editor, then managing editor, of the important literary magazine ‘Urals'. She has lived and worked in Moscow since 2001.
From the 1990s onwards Slavnikova has produced many acclaimed novels including ‘Strekoza, uvelichennaya do razmerov sobaki' (‘Dragonfly the Size of a Dog'), ‘Odin v zerkale' (‘Alone in the Mirror') and ‘Bessmertny' (‘Immortal'). She has received the Apollon Grigoriev Prize, the Polonsky Prize, the Bazhov Prize and, in 2007, for her novel ‘2017', the Russian Booker Prize.
Published in 2006, ‘2017' has been widely acclaimed. Its anti-utopian format allows Slavnikova to dip into the near future in order to survey the century which has elapsed since 1917. A beguiling mix of romance and realism, ‘2017' is enriched with the folklore of the Urals, the drama of mountaineering expeditions and the gruesome conventions of the gem industry.
Slavnikova also writes prolifically about contemporary literature and was pivotal in the establishment of the Debut Independent Literary Prize for young authors writing in Russian: each year the prize receives anything up to 50,000 entries.
Main published works:
Strekoza, uvelichennaya do razmerov sobaki (‘Dragonfly the Size of a Dog’), 1999
Odin v Zerkale (‘Alone in the Mirror’) Winner of the Bazgov Prize 1999
Bessmertniy: Povest’ o nastoyashem cheloveke (‘Immortal’), 2001
France: L’immortel: Histoire d'un homme véritable Editions Gallimard 2004, translation by Christine Zeytounian-Beloüs
Italy: L’immortale: Storia di un uomo vero. Edizioni Einaudi 2007
‘2017’ – 2006 Winner of the Russian Booker Prize 2006
Lyubov v sed’mom vagone (‘Love in the seventh carriage’), 2008
Other prizes:
Ural Prize (1996), October Prize (2001), Polonsky Prize for fiction, Apollon Grigoriev Prize


Marina Galina

“Her novels equally appeal to lovers of magic realism and ironic urban prose. . . . Exquisite and readable at the same time” - The Book Review
Maria Galina is one of the most interesting authors of those who made their names in the turbulent 1990s. She writes both literary and science fiction (with ten SF books to her name). She is also a noted poet, a thoughtful critic, and translator of English and American science fiction, in all of which she excels. She is a winner of many important prizes for her prose, poetry and critical essays.
A graduate from Odessa University majoring in marine biology she took part in several sea expeditions but in 1995 she gave up biology and took up writing professionally.
Apart from numerous Russian publications she has three books published in Poland and her work has been included in various anthologies of Russian writing abroad (Russian Women Poets: Modern Poetry in Translation, UCL, London, 2002; and Amerika. Russian Writers View the United States, Dalkey Archive Press).
Her literary fiction contains a strong element of magic realism while gender issues have always been the focus of her attention.
As a poet she was awarded some of the most prestigious Russian poetry prizes - The Moscow Count (for the best poetry book published in Moscow) and Anthology (for the highest achievements in the modern Russian Poetry)
Publications in English:
Her novel "Iramifications" (2004 Russian version - awarded the best science-fiction/fantasy novel at the international assembly Portal, Kiev, Ukraine, 2005) has been translated into English (Glas Publishing House)
"Russian Women poets (Modern poetry in translation)" UCL, London, 2002, 2005 (second edition);
America. Russian writers View the United States (Dalkey Archive Press), Illinois, 2004;
War&Peace. Contemporary Russian Prose. New Russian Writing. Glas. Moscow, 2006
Poetry Festivals:
International Poetry Biennale in Moscow - 2003, 2005, 2007
International Poetry Festival "Kiev Laura" Ukraine, Kiev 2006, 2007
International Poetry Festival StanZa (Scotland, Sent-Andrews, 2007)
International Poetry Festival ArsPoetica (Bratislava, Slovakia, 2008)


Vladimir Sharov

A historian of medieval Russia by training, Vladimir Sharov (b. 1952) is the son of a geneticist who turned to writing prose, for children and adults, in the 1960s. Sharov himself began writing fiction in the late 1970s, but it was not until the 1990s that his highly unusual historical-philosophical novels entered the public gaze. In so doing, they caused genuine acrimony and controversy among influential editors of literary journals (especially Novyi mir). Many were appalled both by Sharov's literary method and by his exploration through fiction of the mythological and religious substrata of Russian (and especially Revolutionary) history and thought - in particular, of its Utopian, eschatological, and messianic tendencies. Undeterred, Sharov has continued in his distinctive groove, writing, in the opinion of many critics (some of whom now consider him a ‘living classic'), one and the same book: an ongoing commentary on philosophy, history, and the sacred texts. In these complex meditations, the views of the author himself remain elusive.
According to the scholar Thomas Epstein, Sharov's ‘combination of playfulness and seriousness, of parody and lyric, and of the sacred and profane not only complicates the reader's interpretive task but also suggests that Sharov has assimilated, perhaps more than any of his contemporaries, the artistic and philosophical legacy of both the nineteenth and twentieth centuries of Russian literature Like Dostoevsky, he is excessive not in order to deny, misrepresent, or flee reality but, rather, to capture it more accurately.'
Sharov has described himself, in an interview with Moskovskie novosti, as a realist, and ridicules the notion that he is an author of ‘para-historical' fiction, arguing that there is a real history which is not the history of facts and events and which does not find its way into school textbooks. He points to the industrious scientific research conducted in the 1920s to create a ‘new man' and to raise the dead: ‘hundreds of people were engaged in this in secret institutes, and the government did not consider them mad. God judges us not only for our actions, but also for our intentions. I write the entirely real history of thoughts, inventions, and beliefs. This is the country that existed. This is our own madness, our own absurd.'
Main published works
'20 let na svobode' (20 Years of Freedom) Moscow, Znamia, 2006
'Budte kak deti' (Be Like Children) Moscow, Znamia, 2008


Sergey Lukyanenko

Sergei Lukyanenko, born in Kazakhstan, is one of the foremost Russian science-fiction writers and has received tremendously high acclaim abroad. Originally studying as a psychiatrist, Lukyanenko turned to science-fiction writing with the monthly publication of Where the Mean Enemy Lurks in 1988. However, the works that shot him to the dizzying heights that he now occupies were Knights of the Forty Islands, which won best heroic-romantic fantasy and science-fiction award in 1995, and The Nuclear Dream. In 1999 he became the youngest ever writer to win the Aelita award for “major contribution to Russian science-fiction”. However, it is his renowned series of “Dozory”, Night Watch through to Final Watch, for which he is most recognised, particularly abroad.
Night Watch (Nochnoy Dozor), the first of this highly popular series, was published in 1998 and chronicles the supernatural conflict between two policing organisations, the Night Watch and Day Watch, looking to uphold the truce between good and evil. It was deservedly well received by critics and fans alike, and was awarded the “Strannik” Prize for best novel in 1999. Lukyanenko continued this success with Day Watch (Dnevnoy Dozor), awarded joint first place in the “Gold RosCon” award for the best book of 2000. Twilight Watch and Final Watch completed this highly distinguished tetralogy.
The first three books of this series have been compressed into two imaginative blockbuster adaptations, directed by Timur Bekmambetov, also from Kazakhstan, and starring Konstantin Khabensky. They were released internationally and fans are now eagerly awaiting production on the concluding film.
Inspired and creative, Lukyanenko has delved past the surface image of Moscow to create a visionary, underground world, a franchise that is one of the most recognised of contemporary Russian writing.

Main published works:
'Rytsary Soroka Ostrovov' (Knights of the Forty Islands) 1990
'Atomny Son' (The Nuclear Dream) 1992
'Linia Grez' (Line of Reveries Trilogy) 1995-1998
'Osennie Vizity' (Autumn Visits) 1996
'Labirint Otrazheniy' (Labyrinth of Reflections Trilogy) 1996-2000
'Nochnoy Dozor' (Night Watch Tetralogy) 1998-2005

Prizes and Awards
1993: Aelita Award for best debut of a young author – for “The Nuclear Dream”
1995: Rumata’s Sword Award for the best heroic-romantic fantasy and science-fiction award – for “Knights of the Forty Islands”
1999: Aelita Award for “major contribution to Russian science-fiction”
1999: Strannik Awards for the novel “Night Watch”
2000: Gold RosCon Award (shared with Vladimir Vasilyev) for the best book of 2000 – for “Day Watch”


Dmitry Bykov

“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
Dmitry Bykov was born in Moscow in 1967. He studied at Moscow State University's Faculty of Journalism, and journalism is something he remains engaged with: he regularly produces articles, essays and reviews for the leading Russian newspapers and magazines. He has senior editorial positions in various publications, hosts a weekly radio show and appears regularly on Russian TV.
Bykov's literary output is voluminous. He has published eight novels, biographies of Pasternak and Bulat Okudjava, several collections of short stories, three volumes of essays and eight collections of poetry. His biography of Pasternak won the National Bestseller Prize and the 2007 Big Book Prize and was a critical and commercial hit, enjoying three print runs. Commenting on this success, Bykov remarked that ‘Boris Leonidovich has completely renovated my dacha'.
Bykov's novel 'Zh.D.' (published in Russia in 2007 and recently translated into English) has become a bombshell. Its title is an abbreviation that evokes many meanings, primarily standing for Living Souls, an association with Gogol's Dead Souls. One critic described Bykov's novel as "a futuristic anti-utopia about imminent ethnic conflicts and the inevitable crisis of democracy and liberalism as we know them today." The novel is set in the not so distant future but the events described are drawn from the present day, especially life in the army. Bykov himself describes his novel as politically incorrect. He says: "It's the best book I've ever written - actually it's the best book that can possibly be written today, and it's very funny."
Bykov's latest novel, ‘Spisannie' (List) is the first installment of a grotesque fantasy trilogy. The protagonist, a young TV script writer, suddenly finds himself on a secret list which includes, in addition to him, 180 other Muscovites aged 16 to 60. Nobody knows who, or what, has put them on this list. Fear, humiliation, hopes, rumours and the ghosts of the noughties - all find their way into this novel, part-thriller, part-fable and part-political satire.
Provocative, flamboyant and with his fingers in dozens of pies, Dmitry Bykov revels in controversy. Though his literary versatility and verbal violence mark him out among contemporary Russian writers, he remains relatively unknown in the West.
Main published works:
Opravdenie (Justification) 2001
Orfografia (Orthography) 2003
Boris Pasternak 2005
V mire zhivotnikov. Detskaya kniga dlya vzroslikh, vzroslaya kniga dlya detei. (The Animal World. A Children’s Book for Adults, an Adult’s Book for Children.) 2005 (with Irina Lukianova)
Kak Putin stal prezidentom S.Sh.A: Novie Russkie Rasskazy (How Putin Became President of the U.S.A: New Russian Stories) A collection of satirical miniatures. 2005
Pravda (Truth) 2005
Zh.D. (Living Souls) 2006
Spisanniye (List) 2008
Prizes and awards:
2004: A. and B. Strugatsky International Literature Prize for Orthography
2006: National Bestseller Prize for his book on Boris Pasternak
2007: The Big Book Prize for his book on Boris Pasternak
2007: A. and B. Strugatsky International Literature Prize for Living Souls

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