Despite challenges, interest in Russian literature abroad is on the rise.
Against the backdrop of recent international disruptions, we increasingly hear discussions about the need to spread Russian cultural values and apply “soft power.” However, these meanings and views don’t disseminate on their own. One of the most important channels for their transmission is literature. GORUS decided to explore how actively readers abroad engage with Russian literature and what they expect from Russian writers today.
Names Reverberating Through Centuries
Russian literature is an integral part of the global cultural process, and its significance is considerable. Novels by Russian classics feature prominently in respectable rankings of the most popular and influential books in history.
For instance, Fyodor Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” is among the “top hundred books of all time” according to ZDF and The Guardian, and also features in BBC’s “top two hundred.” Furthermore, in the top 100 of the Norwegian Book Club, four of Dostoevsky’s novels appear: “Crime and Punishment,” “The Idiot,” “Demons,” and “The Brothers Karamazov.”
Similarly, in leading global book rankings, one can readily find Leo Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina” and “War and Peace,” Nikolai Gogol’s “Dead Souls,” Mikhail Bulgakov’s “The Master and Margarita,” and Nabokov’s “Lolita.” The assessments of these works were shaped on the world literary stage over decades.
Currently, amidst geopolitical cataclysms, changes are also taking place in the book world.
According to “Eksmo” publishing house, working conditions have significantly complicated due to sanction pressure. In 2022, the market for selling international rights to publications by Russian authors declined. Publishers from Western countries practically stopped acquiring these rights. Nevertheless, there are positive aspects.
The publishing house continues to view international markets as a strategic direction, albeit in the distant future. Interest in works by Russian authors is growing in China, South Korea, Iran, the UAE, and Latin American countries, thus creating new partnerships remains crucial for scaling author brands and promoting the Russian language abroad.
Simultaneously, there’s a positive trend in exporting paper books in the Russian language. The publisher’s sales growth in 2022 reached 27% compared to 2021, with an overall surge of 127% over five years. 43% of sales are accounted for by Belarus, 26% by European states, and 8% by the USA. The rest are bought by Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and Israel.
Surprisingly, sales of paper books in the Russian language in the USA skyrocketed by 124% in 2022 compared to 2021. The top three bestsellers were Nadezhda Zhukova’s “Bukvar,” Olga Primachenko’s “To Oneself Tenderly,” and Lia Arden’s “Mara and Morok.”
In 2023, there’s been a positive trend in rights sales. In the first half of the year, this indicator increased by 15%. Several deals on rights sales to China took place.
In China, South Korea, Iran, the UAE, and Latin American countries, interest in the works of Russian authors is growing
Foreign Tastes
There is considerable interest abroad in popular science and applied books by Russian authors. For instance, in Europe and Asia, the works of Anna Bykova, the creator of the “lazy mom” approach to parenting, are popular. Russian comic book artists and authors of Young Adult genre have good potential, especially as young readers today are the most active both in Russia and abroad. Russian classics remain ever-popular as well. Works by Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Anton Chekhov intrigue readers worldwide, actively adapted for screen and staged in leading theaters.
“Russian publishers prioritize developing partnerships with counterparts from friendly nations, primarily those in the CIS. There’s active collaboration in expanding ties with publishers and bookstores in Armenia, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, as well as Turkey, Mongolia, and Serbia. Rights sales are in progress in the Chinese, Turkish, and Arabic markets. Chinese publishers, in particular, are interested in children’s non-fiction and educational books. Works by Russian classics like Vitaly Bianki, Konstantin Paustovsky, among others, are part of the school literature program and are actively translated and published in Chinese,” shared Evgeny Kapiev, CEO of the Eksmo publishing house, with GORUS correspondent.
He mentioned that non-fiction books by Russian authors for adult readers are also in demand in China. Recently, interest in illustrated albums has shifted towards psychology, parenting, and business literature.
Marketing fictional literature is more complex due to certain cultural differences between audiences in different countries. For instance, Chinese readers are deeply engrossed in Young Adult bestsellers, which are regularly published there. However, publishers from Arab countries often show more interest in children’s literature as it aligns better with the values of the Muslim world.
“Local publishers are inclined to buy rights from Russian authors if there are grants for translations since they are cautious about investing in unknown names independently. Limited budgets hinder dealings with Latin American countries despite the readiness of publishers. Nevertheless, there are prospects in this direction,” Evgeny Kapiev emphasized.
Popular science and applied books by Russian authors are of great interest abroad
Russian publishers face issues that require state involvement for resolution.
“One of the issues that needs addressing is combating counterfeit editions that appear and are sold in CIS countries. Additionally, due to marketplaces, these counterfeits periodically surface in the territory of the Russian Federation. To curb piracy, joint efforts from publishers, marketplaces, and government agencies of CIS countries are crucial. It severely impacts cooperation, devalues copyright protection.
Another challenge is financial transactions with foreign partners. Not all clients from CIS countries can purchase books via non-cash settlements due to sanctions. Overall, the development of logistical chains, book infrastructure, active dialogue between Russian rights holders and foreign partners make the export of Russian books a promising area of work,” Evgeny Kapiev concluded.
“Waiting for Meanings”
In a conversation with GORUS correspondent, Sergey Perevezenzev, Secretary of the Union of Writers of Russia, mentioned that making predictions about the prospects of Russian literature abroad is challenging.
“Literature, like any true art, is an unpredictable phenomenon. We can forecast the directions in which pop culture, aimed at making money and subject to regulation, will develop. But the same cannot be said for high literature containing meanings and deep reflections on humanity, society, and the mysteries of the soul. This is precisely the kind of literature awaited from us both in the West and the East. They expect that a Russian writer can awaken something new in their souls, something that has been smoldering there in recent decades. They’re waiting for meanings,” emphasized Perevezenzev.
He noted that attempts to ‘sell’ an anti-Russian agenda, currently undertaken by some writers, are not promising:
“They are profoundly mistaken. Readers in various Western countries are diverse, but foremost, they seek quality literature, and contemporary anti-Russian writers objectively write poorly. Moreover, many in the West ideologically admire ‘Russian resistance.’ People are tired of attempts to manipulate their consciousness. Russian culture couldn’t be eradicated there, despite all efforts.”
Overall, the experts the GORUS correspondent spoke with seemed rather optimistic. We also want to believe that in the near future, alongside Dostoevsky and Tolstoy in the rankings of the greatest novels of all time, the names of our contemporaries will appear. Perhaps, someone among them is just completing a work destined to resonate worldwide.
By Svyatoslav Knyazev