A literary spotlight on Russia

Andrew Jack previews the Pushkin House non-fiction prize list

The World Today Updated 10 November 2020 2 minute READ

Andrew Jack

Global education editor, Financial Times

What to read to understand Russia? This year’s selection from the Pushkin House non-fiction prize list provides the context to better understand both current tense relations with the West and internal frustrations within the country.

In each of the six years since the annual prize was launched by Pushkin House, London’s independent Russian cultural centre, there has been no problem in identifying half a dozen books to recommend. The challenge facing the judges this year has been to whittle down a long list to so few.

There were more than 80 suitable books released during the year, highlighting the breadth of research and writing on the Russian-speaking world: from history and foreign affairs to culture and literary analysis.

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