Russia Market Focus at the London Book Fair 2011

11-13 April 2011

 

In September 2009 Russia was announced the Market Focus and Guest of Honour of The London Book Fair 2011.

 

This decision was taken in recognition of Russia’s rapid growth in the publishing field in the past two decades and following the success of the Russian Pavilion and Russian Literature Week, held in conjunction with The London Book Fair 2009 and in the presence of Minister Mikhail V. Seslavinsky and His Excellency Ambassador Yury V. Fedotov.

 

Literature has always been at the heart of Russian culture. In fact, in the 19th and 20th centuries it gained international repute for being more than literature, but nearly always a forum for political debate, philosophical treatise, and social and psychological study. Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov and other great Russian writers revolutionised European literature.

 

Today’s writers continue this great literary tradition. As Russia is challenged by enormous social and economical transformations, its literature plays an important role by providing a platform for open debate and crystallising new national values. The number of national annual literary awards, including the main - the Big Book Prize, with a cash value larger than that of the British Man Booker Prize, attests to the importance of literature in Russia today.

 

Market Focus will bring both internationally established authors, such as Vladimir Makanin, Ludmila Ulitskaya and Dmitry Bykov, and new and exciting writers to the forefront of the international book publishing industry, and to the attention of the English speaking world, during The London Book Fair 2011.

 

To maximise business and networking opportunities, The London Book Fair is running a series of events, industry debates and seminars in the run-up to the Fair, with the support of the British Council, the Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications and Academia Rossica.