December 02, 2016

Peter Aleshkovsky: 2016 Russian Booker Laureate


Peter Aleshkovsky: 2016 Russian Booker Laureate

We were excited to learn today that one of our authors, Peter Aleshkovsky, was awarded the 2016 Russian Booker Prize, arguably Russia's most prestigous literary prize. Peter won it for his most recent novel, Крепость (The Fortress), which was nominated for all of Russia's top literary prizes this year.

The prize is long overdue. Peter has authored a dozen fine books over the past three decades, and has been thrice shortlisted for the Booker, for Skunk: A Life (1994), Vladimir Chirgintsev (1996), and Fish (2006). A full list of his books is here, along with links to some other material on Peter's work, including an interview about Fish he did with the novel's translator, Nina Murray, who also translated Stargorod.

The only books that have been translated into English are Skunk, Fish, and Stargorod.

In announcing the Booker Prize on December 1, Olesya Nikolayeva, the jury's chairman, said:

"Today, we, the members of the jury discussed and chose the leading candidate for the prize, although he was known to me well before this. From the very beginning I have been a fan of this novel. The jury was divided: three against two. Then we conducted a literary contest: each member had to speak on the two novels and give their conceptual assessment. After that, the votes changed. This novel is truly alive, it has a true character, a hero, a positive hero, I shoul say. The laureate of the Russian Booker Prize is Peter Aleshkovsky, for his novel Крепость."

In an authorial biography that Peter penned for us some years ago, he concluded that he 

is continually surprised at how people, like paintings in a museum, are everywhere as unlike one another as they are alike, such that they can even read a novel written in Russian and translated into another language.

But if it is an Aleshkovsky novel, then there is no surprise, for it is sure to be a fine work of literature.

Kudos, Peter, we could not be more proud of your achievement!

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Some of our Books

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

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