The Frankfurt Book Fair, concerts by Vera Polozkova and Alexander Manotskov, book launches with Lyubov Belyatskaya and Leonid Bershidsky, a discussion of Accidental Czar, and a lecture by Gasan Gusejnov — our selection of literary events for the coming days.
Babel Books Berlin will host a meeting with Lyubov Belyatskaya, founder of the independent St Petersburg bookshop Vse Svobodny. She will present Mine: An All-Women Anthology, featuring ten texts by different women writers, and discuss the realities of running an independent bookshop in Russia today.
Babel Books Berlin, Bernauer Str. 49, Berlin
Register via the link in the bookshop’s Instagram Stories or its “Events” Highlights.
More info
Vera Polozkova and composer Alexander Manotskov will present their new album The Red Thread. Their joint programme is a musical and poetic dialogue about loss, love, memory, and the times we live in.
The concerts will feature songs performed a cappella and for voice and bass, poems from different years, and letters. The programme changes from one performance to the next, bringing together older texts and poems completed just before stepping on stage.
7 October — Kraków
8 October — Gdańsk
9 October — Warsaw
Frankfurter Buchmesse will bring together publishers, writers, and readers from around the world. The programme includes author talks, book launches, and discussions of contemporary literature.
Berlin Book Fair — Hall 3.1, Stand A58
The Berlin Book Fair will showcase Russian-language publishers and authors at its stand.
8 October, 15:00–17:00 — a presentation of the Berlin Book Fair, featuring Anna Berseneva.
9 October, 11:00–12:00 — a meeting with Dasha Okhotsimskaya, author of There Are No Adults on This Planet, published by Individuum in 2026.
9 October, 16:00–17:00 — a talk by Vera Martynova on distance and intimacy in autofiction.
Prague Book Tower — Author Meetings
9 October, 16:00–17:00 — Sergey Davydov Presents Midwest
The author of Springfield, shortlisted for the Dar Prize, will present his new book, published by Freedom Letters. Midwest combines free verse, prose, dreams, and monologues in an account of emigration — of living between places, searching for a sense of belonging, and finding a way to carry on.
Hall 3.1, Stand A64
More info
10 October, 13:00–14:00 — Alexey Voinov: Winter Without Snow
Prague Book Tower’s programme includes readings from Alexey Voinov’s autobiographical novella Winter Without Snow (Winter ohne Schnee) and a meeting with the author.
10 October, 14:00–15:00 — Ivan Filippov Presents His New Book
Journalist and writer Ivan Filippov will present his nonfiction study All Quiet on the ZZ Western Front: Putin’s Russia Against Putin. The book examines Putin’s Russia through the writings and perspectives of supporters of the war — Russia’s Z-bloggers.
Hall 3.1, Stand A64
More info
A Frankfurter Buchmesse ticket is required to attend these events. The fair opens to the general public on 9 October at 11:00; please check the fair’s website for admission conditions on 7–8 October.
Babel Books Berlin will host the launch of Leonid Bershidsky’s novel Tested on Animals, published by Freedom Letters.
Set in a parallel universe, the novel brings together the lives of an authoritarian ruler, a biochemist who has left science, and a disillusioned technocrat as a global crisis looms.
Babel Books Berlin, Bernauer Str. 49, Berlin
Register via the link in the bookshop’s Instagram Stories.
More info
At Librairie du Globe, journalist Maxim Kurnikov and Alexandra Tolmats will present their translation of Andrew Weiss and Brian Brown’s graphic novel Accidental Czar.
The discussion will explore how Vladimir Putin came to power and how his image as a “strong leader” was constructed — a story told through nonfiction comics.
Librairie du Globe, 67 boulevard Beaumarchais, Paris
More info
What happens to a language when its familiar political and cultural environment begins to fall apart? And what can we learn about a society by listening to the way it swears?
Philologist Gasan Gusejnov will give a lecture at PANDA platforma on everyday speech and profanity in Russia, the diaspora, the former Soviet republics, and the regions of Ukraine affected by Russian aggression. The event will be held in Russian.
PANDA platforma, Knaackstraße 97, Berlin
More details and registration
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.
