The Dar Prize was created to support and promote authors writing in Russian, regardless of their country of residence or citizenship.
According to the rules of the award, the winner will be determined by the Jury.
The winning book will receive a grant for translation into three languages: English, German, and French. This year, as an exception, two books will be selected.
The shortlist includes books that address time, vulnerability, memory, war, love, and responsibility in different ways.
Shortlist for the second season of the Dar Prize:
📖 Igor Beloded — “The Morning Was an Eye” (Alpina. Prose)
📖 Zhenya Berezhnaya — “(Not) About War” (Medusa)
📖 Ksenia Buksha — “Little Paradise” (Freedom Letters)
📖 Ilya Danishevsky — Damocles Techno (Freedom Letters)
📖 Tatyana Zamirovskaya — “Eurydice, check if you turned off the gas” (Mane Naya)
📖 Alexandra Krashevskaya — “Lullaby for Mariupol” (Freedom Letters)
📖 Alexander Motsar — “Only Cacti Survive in War” (Fresh Verlag)
📖 Dmitry Petrov — Parent's Day (Kust Press)
📖 Grisha Prorokov — “Nothing but the Heart” (Papier-mâché)
📖 Oleg Radzinsky — Days of Repentance (BAbook)
📖 Yuri Troitsky — “Shatz” (Freedom Letters)
📖 Evgeny Feldman — Dreamers vs. Cosmonauts (BAbook)
The jury members will begin their work today, and it will continue until mid-May 2026. At the end of May 2026, the winner of the second season of the Dar Award will be announced.
There will be no reader vote in the second season.
Follow the updates, get to know the authors and their works, and discover new independent publishers.
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.
