Boris Akunin (Grigory Chkhartishvili)

Genres

Contemporary Fiction, Arts & Culture

Biography

Born in the small Georgian industrial town of Zestafoni in 1956 to a Georgian father and Russian-teacher mother, Akunin is an essayist, literary translator and a celebrated writer of detective fiction. After developing an interest in Japanese Kabuki theater, he joined the historical-philological branch of the Institute of Asian and African Countries of Moscow State University as an expert on Japan.

 

He worked as assistant to the editor-in-chief of the magazine Foreign Literature, but left in 2000 to pursue writing full-time. Under his given name of Grigory Chkhartishvili, he now serves as editor-in-chief of the Anthology of Japanese Literature and chairman of the board of the charitable foundation 'The Pushkin Library', and is the author of the non-fiction book The Writer and Suicide. He has also contributed literary criticism and translations from Japanese, American and English literature under his own name.

 

Under the pseudonym Boris Akunin (an allusion to the Japanese word for 'villain'), he has written many works of fiction, and although first published only seven years ago, the till has long since rung up his eight millionth sale. It was his hugely entertaining, cunningly plotted detective novels starring the itinerant sleuth Erast Fandorin that first brought him fame (and fortune).  The Adventures of Erast Fandorin series, which now runs to 13 novels, is a collection of wry, witty, page-turners to be commended to anyone with a taste for crime fiction and/or the Russian classics, both of which Akunin liberally pastiches. His other series are The Adventures of Sister Pelagia, The Adventures of the Master (following Nicholas Fandorin, Erast's grandson) and the experimental Cinema-Novel series, set during World War I.

 

Akunin has been called the 'undisputed champion' of Russian crime fiction and has been translated into many languages. The Fandorin series has so far been made into three Russian blockbusters and filming is under way on an English version of The Winter Queen, starring Milla Jovovich. His prodigious output has astounded many: he wrote his last three novels in the cabin of a cruise liner on a single voyage. 'The average age of the passengers was about 85', he says, 'and it was an incredibly boring experience. It was the perfect setting for creative work.'

Prizes and awards

2009Japanese Fund Award

2005

Shortlisted for The Gumshoe Award (Murder on the Leviathan / Левиафан)
2003Shortlisted for The Dagger Award (The Winter Queen / Азазель)
2002TAFFI Best Movie Script Award (The Winter Queen / Азазель)
2000

Russian Writer of the Year

2000The Antibooker Prize (Coronation / Коронация)

Books

  • The Falcon and the Swallow / Сокол и Ласточка, Zakharov Books, 2009
  • Quest / Квест, Zakharov Books, 2009
  • The Wandering Man / Странный человек, 2009
  • Let the Thunder of Victory Rumble! / Гром победы раздавайся!, 2009
  • The Seagull A Comedy in Two Acts / Чайка. Комедия в двух действиях, Zakharov Books, 2009
  • All the World's a Stage / Весь мир театр, 2009
  • The Flying Elephant / Летающий слон, 2008
  • Children of the Moon / Дети Луны, 2008
  • The Jade Rosary / Нефритовые четки, Zakharov Books, 2007
  • The Infant and the Devil / Младенец и черт, 2007
  • The Torment of a Broken Heart / Мука разбитого сердца, 2007
  • F.M. / Ф. М., Zakharov Books, 2006
  • Yin and Yan / Инь и Ян, Zakharov Books, 2006
  • Children's Book / Детская книга, Olma Press, 2005
  • Spy Novel / Шпионский роман, AST, 2005
  • Science Fiction / Фантастика, Zakharov Books, 2005
  • The Diamond Chariot / Алмазная колесница, Zakharov Books, 2003
  • Pelagia and the Red Rooster / Пелагия и красный петух, Zakharov Books, 2003
  • Extracurricular Reading / Внеклассное чтение, 2002
  • Comedy/Tragedy / Комедия/Трагедия, Olma Press, 2002
  • She Lover of Death / Любовница смерти, Zakharov Books, 2001
  • Pelagia and the Black Monk / Пелагия и черный монах, Zakharov Books, 2001
  • The Coronation / Коронация или Последний из Романов, Zakharov Books, 2000
  • Pelagia and the White Bulldog / Пелагия и белый бульдог, Zakharov Books, 2000
  • Altyn Tolobas / Алтын-толобас, Zakharov Books, 2000
  • Fairy Tales for Idiots / Сказки для Идиотов, Olma Press, 2000
  • The Jack of Spades / Пиковый валет, Zakharov Books, 1999
  • The Decorator / Декоратор, Zakharov Books, 1999
  • The State Counsellor / Статский советник, Zakharov Books, 1999
  • The Winter Queen / Азазель, 1998
  • Murder on the Leviathan / Левиафан, Zakharov Books, 1998
  • The Turkish Gambit / Турецкий гамбит, Zakharov Books, 1998
  • The Death of Achilles / Смерть Ахиллеса, Zakharov Books, 1998

Foreign Publications

In English

  • Special Assignments, 2008
  • Sister Pelagia and the Black Monk, 2008
  • Sister Pelagia and the White Bulldog, 2007
  • The Death of Achilles, 2006
  • The Turkish Gambit, 2005
  • The Winter Queen, 2004
  • Murder on the Leviathan, 2004

Contact information