Oleg Radzinsky - writer, former investment banker and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rambler, son of the famous writer-historian and playwright Edvard Radzinsky. Radzinsky was graduating from the Faculty of Philology at Moscow State University when in 1982 he was arrested by the KGB and subsequently convicted on charges of “anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda”. He was released in 1987, the same year he emigrated to the United States. After postgraduate studies at Columbia University in international finance and many years of work on Wall Street, he returned to Moscow to head the Board of Directors of Rambler, Russia's largest Internet company. He remained in this position until 2006. He currently lives in Switzerland and the UK.
Author of the novels “Surinam” and “Agafonkin and Time”, short story collections “Visitation” and “Ivanova's Freedom”. In October 2018, Corpus Publishing published his book “Random Lives”, as well as a new edition of the novel “Surinam” and the novel “Gods and Superfluous”.
Arkady Ostrovsky - Russian-born British journalist, political observer, publicist, theater historian, translator. Doctor of Philosophy in English literature. He is a contributor to The Economist magazine (editor of the Russian Federation and Eastern Europe section; headed its Moscow bureau) and formerly to the Financial Times. Pulitzer Prize finalist, winner of the Orwell Prize (2016).
“Penitential Days.” - is a Moscow saga during Putin's war in Ukraine. The Naydenov family lived their lives, while outside the windows of their apartment another life was going on, ruled by other people. The Naydenovs thought it would be like that - two parallel, non-overlapping lives in the same country. Or two countries - their own and the rest of Russia. The war started and everything changed. And now it's either to run or to fight. Or try to glue back together what the war has broken. The war started on TV. And then the tanks rolled off the blue screen and moved into the apartments. Along with the war.
At the meeting you will be able to ask questions of the author, purchase and sign the book.
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.
