Read Russia Journal

The Russian Library @ 25

by Christine Dunbar

Book cover of The SymphoniesThe 2021 publication of Andrei Bely’s The Symphonies, in a translation by Jonathan Stone, has now brought the number of books in Columbia University Press’s Russian Library series to 25. Reviewers have hailed the book for its “otherworldly tales of haunting beauty” and as “a welcome addition to the canon of classic Russian literature in English.”

Jon Stone’s scholarly work on Russian Symbolism is highly regarded in the field, but I was skeptical when he contacted me about a translation of Bely’s “Northern Symphony.” Andrei Bely is a major figure in the Russian literary tradition, and the chapter on him in Vladislav Khodasevich’s Necropolis is one of my favorites. (Necropolis appeared in the Russian Library in 2019 in Sarah Vitali’s sharp and meticulous translation.) Bely is known primarily for his novel Petersburg, and the Russian Library is not a completist project. Our goal is to broaden the variety of Russian literature available to entertain, challenge, and inspire the Anglophone reader.

Continue Reading...


Chatham Translation Symposium 2021: Notes from Shore

a view of a beach on the oceanThe second Chatham Translation Symposium convened October 3-5, 2021 and featured 11 in-person participants, 4 additional presenters convening with us remotely, and a number of guests returning virtually from our class of 2019.

The Symposium opened with Mark Lipovetsky of Columbia University discussing Russian literary trends—especially of the last hundred years—and the huge range of opportunities for new translations of notable authors whose works have only received minimal treatment in English, fallen out of print, or gone untranslated altogether.

Photos by Irina Mashinski

Continue Reading...


RUSSIAN LITERATURE WEEK – DECEMBER 7–11, 2020

Read Russia Literature Week 2020

In 2020 RUSSIAN LITERATURE WEEK was held online with a mix of live readings and presentations and documentary films and prerecorded video talks. This year’s theme, given to us by Carol Apollonio, was: READING RUSSIAN LITERATURE DURING HARD TIMES. 
The live events on Zoom featured authors and translators in discussion, and prerecorded talks featured contemporary Russian authors surveying the Russian literary scene. Enjoy the recorded live events and author interviews – now all on YouTube!

Continue Reading...


READ RUSSIA PRIZE 2020 – WINNER

Read Russia is pleased to announce the winner of the 2020 READ RUSSIA PRIZE. All the nominations received for this year’s award honored the breadth and diversity of work by Russian authors and their English-language translators and publishers – across a wide range of genres and from classic to contemporary writing.

Alexander Pushkin
Selected Poetry 
Translated by Antony Wood 
(Penguin Random House, 2020)

Continue Reading...


Read Russia Announces the READ RUSSIA PRIZE 2020 Shortlist

Read Russia PrizesNew York, August 17, 2020 – Read Russia is delighted to announce the shortlist for the 2020 READ RUSSIA PRIZE. 

The shortlist of five titles has been selected by the READ RUSSIA PRIZE jurors for their quality, excellence, and contribution to Russian literature in the Anglophone world. 

The PRIZE winner(s) will be decided and announced this September. 

 

Continue Reading...


Announcing the READ RUSSIA PRIZE 2020 Longlist

Read Russia Prize 2020Read Russia is pleased to announce the longlist for the 2020 READ RUSSIA PRIZE.

The nominations received for this year’s award honored the breadth and diversity of work by Russian authors and their English-language translators across a wide range of genres and from classic to contemporary writing.

A longlist of 20 titles has been selected by the READ RUSSIA PRIZE jurors for their quality, excellence, and contribution to Russian literature in the Anglophone world. The shortlist will be decided and announced in August.

Continue Reading...


Page 1 of 8 pages  1 2 3 >  Last ›