I happened to be invited to participate in the jury of the literary Dar Prize, organized in Switzerland on the initiative of the writer Mikhail Shishkin (whom I love very much, and I consider this initiative important and necessary). The purpose of the prize, as I understand it, is to support those who write in Russian (we are talking about prose, not poetry, if anything) and oppose the policy of the Moscow authorities and the war in support of Ukraine. The main prize is a grant for translation into other languages. Below is the recently announced shortlist:
Igor Pomerantsev “My First Bomb Shelter”,
Beznosov Denis. Evidence of Habitat
Alexander Goldfarb “The Bull about Father, Son, Spies, Dissidents and Secrets of Biological Weapons”,
Karina Cochrell-Ferré's "Lusha",
Sergei Davydov “Springfield.”
Anastasia Vepreva, Roman Osminkin “Kommunalka on Petrogradka”,
Andrei Krasnyashchikh “God is +/-.”
Sergei Solovyov, “Shakti's Smile.”
Maria Galina “Near the war. Odessa. February 2022 - lute 2023.”
Nikolai V. Kononov “The Night We Disappeared”,
Viktor Melamed “Dixon”,
Riva Yevstifeeva's “Internship Stories.”
What is definitely important (to me) here? I HAVE ALL THESE BOOKS TO READ! However, I have already read two of them, but I won't tell you which ones. Those who are on the jury (the list of the jury, as well as the expert council that selected the shortlist, is on the award website, it's in the first comment) have the right to name the three most favorite books. In addition, there is a viewer's vote on the site, with the collection of money - and they will be received by the writers or writers whose works are in the shortlist. So, that's it, in a nutshell. I promise I'll keep you posted.
What Are the Objectives of the Award?
The primary goal of the Award is to support authors and promote Russian-language literature worldwide. We welcome all who write and read in Russian, regardless of citizenship or place of residence. We aim to foster a Russian-language culture free from political and imperial influences.
How Is the Award Process Conducted?
The Award is given annually. The jury votes, with each member selecting between one and three works. The winner is the author whose work receives the most votes. Additionally, a reader’s vote (Crowdfunding) is conducted on the Award’s website, where readers can vote for authors and support them financially.
What Awards Are Provided?
The winner of the Award receives a grant to translate the work into English, French and German. Also, as part of the reader's vote, all collected funds are transferred to the authors for whom the readers voted.
When Does the Submission Period for the Competition Start and End?
Прием заявок на конкурс второго сезона премии начнется 1 сентября 2025-го и закончится 15-го октября 2025 года.
When will the list of finalists and winners be announced?
В январе 2026 года Совет Экспертов объявит список финалистов. Читательское голосование начинается в тот же месяц. В феврале-апреле члены жюри читают книги-финалисты, а победителей Премии и читательского голосования объявят в мае 2026 года.
What are the conditions for the nomination of a book for the award
В конкурсе второго сезона могут принимать участия произведения, изданные в 2024-м году. Произведения (роман, повесть, сборники рассказов и эссе, документальная проза), вышедшие отдельными изданиями или опубликованные в журналах. Номинировать на премию имеют право как издательства и редакции журналов, так и сами писатели или третьи лица (с согласия и письменного подтверждения автора). Тексты подаются к рассмотрению в электронном виде. Премия «Дар» открыта для всех авторов. Учитывая главные цели премии: продвижение современной русскоязычной литературы за пределами РФ и характер самого вознаграждение (грант на перевод) - приоритет будет отдаваться авторам, чьи произведения ранее не переводились на английский, французский и немецкий языки.
