My book arrived from the publisher today. Funny how it now appears to have a life of its own. It is at the same time both mine and not mine. It has my name on the cover, I know the contents almost by heart, and yet it is now out in the world as a separate entity and will follow its own path. Lots of children analogies here.
Biteback books will publish my non-fiction account of physical and spiritual survival during the siege of Leningrad on Sept 8th - coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the start of the siege.
The book is dedicated to all those survivors - actors, artists, musicians, writer, who talked to me so freely about their experiences - most of them now dead
Go and see beautiful magic carpets from Azerbaijan at One Marylebone (opposits Gt Portland Street tube) - on till Nov 21st!
Heard Akhmatova's Requiem read (in new excellent English translation by Richard McKane - Bloodaxe books) with appropriate gravitas by Glenda Jackson at Keat's House on Sunday. This was part of the Hampstead and Highgate literary festival. Note to organiser (Liane Aukin) - I would prefer to hear Akhmatova's early love poems read before Requiem.
The writers spoke last night about distance allowing a truer portrayal of their world. They might place their narrative in the near future, or back in history
And so I gained a truer understanding of my compulsion to write about Russia...
Went to last night's Squaring the Circle event at the Free Word in Farringdon. Five Russian Debut prize winners (Alisa Ganieva, Alexander Gritsenko, Arslan Khasavov, Polina Klyukina and Victor Puchkov) were there with Russian Booker winner Olga Slavnikova and Glas publisher Natasha Perova. The young winners were delightful, excited to be on their first visit to the UK
This is one of the twentieth century's most powerful and illuminating books, brilliantly translated and annotated by Robert Chandler.
Besides the beauty of his writing, Grossman's strength lies in his gentleness. He portrays humanity at its most vicious while asking for understanding - even for those who betrayed their comrades during the terror. Judge not...
Robert Chandler spoke at Pushkin House last night on translating Vasily Grossman. There was discussion on why it took so long for Grossman to be recognised both in the west and in Russia.
Hoorah for Academia Rossica. They are creating a website (www.booksfromrussia.ru - live from May) linking Russian authors and publishers with UK translators (and readers).
