London Book Fair April 8-10

The London Book Fair is a large book-publishing trade fair held annually, usually in April, in London. This event brings you direct access to customers, content and emerging markets. With the UK-Russia Year of Culture 2014 to the London Book Fair once more​ returned Read Russia project. Read Russia is a new initiative founded in 2012, - based in Moscow, New York, and London - established to celebrate Russian literature and book culture.

This Year Read Russia comes to the United Kingdom with exhibitions and readings and events at the London Book and with the Read Russia Literary Showcase, being held at bookstores, universities, and other cultural sites across the UK in April. Both sets of events are designed to promote the UK-Russia Year of Culture 2014. This year Read Russia also will be presenting Russia’s biggest literary award, the Big Book Prize, and the first-ever Read Russia English Translation Prize this May in New York.

There is a popular Russian folk saying that “Russia is the nation that reads the most”. As the world’s fourth largest book producer, the quality of Russian literature and the incredible contribution that Russian writers have made to the art form is undeniable. The literary masters of 19th Century golden age, such as Nikolai Gogol, Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky and Anton Chekhov, have had a significant influence on Western literature. These authors were instrumental in transforming the contemporary 19th Century perception of Russia from that of a backwards, uncivilised nation to one of the globe’s most important cultural epicentres.

After the 1917 Revolution, the State provided significant support to the literary industry as well as committing to promote universal literacy. This meant that throughout the 20th century Russian literature enjoyed immense popularity within the Soviet Union. State endorsed “socialist realist” novels such as Nikolay Ostrovsky’s How the Steel was Tempered and the works of Maxim Gorky sold tens of millions of copies. However, the substantial ideological censorship that literature produced under the Soviet Union faced significantly diminished the wider global resonance that post 19th Century Russian literature had. In the Western world Russia dropped out of the general consciousness and was no longer a hotbed of fantastic literature.

It is partly for these reasons that the Read Russia initiative was established in 2012. The aim is to showcase to the wider world the incredibly talented and exciting writers as well as celebrating the continued brilliance and influence of the authors who first showcased the astounding literary talent. The Russian literature of today is as diverse as it is exceptional and writers from all corners of Russia are rising to prominence. Many of these writers draw their inspiration from a variety of different genres and influences; from Zakhar Prilepin, whose mastery of realism has drawn comparisons to Tolstoy that Russia continues to produce an extremely high amount. Many excellent new authors will be making an appearance at the London Book Fair. Read

Russia is well worth a visit. Whether you are exploring the work of Russia’s new generation of talented writers, using literature as your starting point in trying to gain a better understanding of Russian culture or if you simply wish to revisit your love for classic literature, the Read Russia events at London Book Fair 2014 are sure to be as exhilarating as they will be informative.