The full-scale offensive of the Russian authorities against the book industry, which began in 2022, continues and is not going to stop. But have the censors managed to achieve any tangible results in three years? Have Russian readers really abandoned books by “foreign agents” and “extremist” writers and switched to books by Zakhar Prilepin and Z-memoirists?
To that question respond The authors of the collection Rhinos in the Bookstore, which was published by Freedom Letters (some of the texts have been previously published in different media, including the New Europe Newspaper.” - Editor's note.). Giorgi Urushadze, the head of the publishing house, immediately stipulates in his opening speech that he considers the Z-literature project to be a continuing failure, and that the censorship roll only creates a “Streisand effect”. “The only bestseller born in three years in their [pro-government] camp, one of Prilepin's books, had a circulation of 70,000. What a trifle compared to the four hundred thousand copies of the quirky novel Summer in a Pioneer Tie sold in Russia before the ban. Our publishing house does not have an advertising department, and its duties are perfectly handled by the three horsemen of the Apocalypse: the Ministry of Justice, the Prosecutor General, and Roskomnadzor”Urushadze says, emphasizing the huge sales of Ivan Filippov's novels The Shadow and The Mouse, books by Dmitry Bykov, Sergei Davydov, and others. Therefore, the task of the collection is not so much to state the defeat of the pro-government cultural camp, but to understand why this happened and how the “scribes” inside and outside the country are resisting censorship. The collected texts follow these two tracks.
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.
