On December 5 and 6, Paris will host the BazarOff book fair, organized by the Ivan Turgenev Russian Public Library in honor of its 150th anniversary. Founded in 1875, La Bibliothèque Russe Tourguenev is one of the oldest Russian libraries in Europe and an important center of intellectual life for Russian émigrés in France. The library is celebrating its anniversary with a large-scale two-day program.
The fair will be held at BULAC — Bibliothèque universitaire des langues et civilisations
Address: 65 rue des Grands Moulins, 75013 Paris.
Working hours:
• December 5 — 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• December 6 — 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Admission is free for all events, except for two programs:
• Concert by poet Alexander Delfinov (with French subtitles) — December 5 at 7:00 p.m.
• Live broadcast of the podcast “Zakladka” with Ekaterina Shulman and Galina Yuzefovich — December 6 at 7:00 p.m.
Large and independent publishers and projects are participating in the salon, including
Les Éditeurs Réunis, samtambooks, FRESH Verlag, Meduza, Sandermoen Publishing, Echo Books, Skoryna-press, Schrift Publishing, VidimBooks, Memorial, Interbok, Khvost, Tien Theater, and others.
The program includes:
A fair featuring new samizdat publications, discussions on contemporary literature, a meeting with the Zakladka podcast, a concert, a children's program, a book club with Olga Velavichyute, a professional section for libraries, New Year's souvenirs, and autograph sessions. An exhibition on samizdat as a form of circumventing censorship since the 19th century will be open in the BULAC reading rooms (curators: Aglaia Acheshova and Benjamin Gishar).
BazarOff is conceived as an open cultural space without borders or censorship. The organizers welcome parents with children, researchers, librarians, Slavic scholars, book market professionals, expats, and anyone interested in Russian literature and book history.
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 Prize is awarded annually. The Jury holds a vote in which each member selects between one and three works. The author whose work receives the highest number of votes becomes the winner.
What Awards Are Provided?
The Prize winner receives a grant for the translation of their work into English, French, and German.
When Does the Submission Period for the Competition Start and End?
Submissions for the third season of the prize will open on July 15, 2026, and close on October 15, 2026.
When will the list of finalists and winners be announced?
On January 20, 2027, the Council of Experts will announce the shortlist. The Independent Jury will announce the winner on May 25, 2027.
What are the conditions for the nomination of a book for the award
Works published in 2025 are eligible for the third season of the competition. Eligible works (novels, novellas, short story and essay collections, documentary prose) may have been published either as standalone editions or in literary magazines. Nominations may be submitted by publishing houses and magazine editorial boards, as well as by the authors themselves or third parties (with the author's consent and written confirmation). Texts must be submitted for consideration in electronic format. The DAR Prize is open to all authors. Given the prize's main goals — promoting contemporary Russian-language literature outside of Russia — and the nature of the award itself (a translation grant), priority will be given to authors whose works have not previously been translated into English, French, or German.
