2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25
In our information overloaded age, "white noise" drowns out many interesting events and big names. Perhaps only those who regularly follow the news in the literary world are aware of the existence of the annual Russian Booker Prize. To whom and for what it is awarded, we will consider.
In 2014, its laureate was Vladimir Sharov, a well-known historian, writer, author of intellectual novels. But first, about the award itself.
History of the Russian Booker Award
In the literary world, the Booker Prize, the oldest among non-state awards, has a reputation for being prestigious. Its founding was initiated by the British Council in Russia. Established in 1992, it has been awarded for the best Russian-language novel for 25 years. The project is similar to the British Booker Prize, but organized in a completely different way.
The right to nominate works in the nomination belongs to publishing houses and editorial offices of major literary magazines, libraries and universities, the list of which is approved by the Committee annually. The main purpose of the award is to attractattention of the reading public to serious works that affirm humanism as the main value traditional for Russian literature.
The prize fund since 2012 has been provided by Globex Bank, the country's largest financial institution. This is the sixth trustee since the existence of the award. With his arrival, the monetary reward of the laureate increased to 1.5 million rubles, the finalists - up to 150 thousand rubles.
Return to Egypt - Laureate Novel
In 2014, at a solemn ceremony held at the Golden Ring Hotel, literary historian A. Aryev named the winner of the Booker Prize. They became Vladimir Alexandrovich Sharov. In addition to him, other well-known writers also claimed victory: Z. Prilepin with the novel "The Abode"; V. Remizov - "Free will"; E. Skulskaya - "The Marble Swan", etc. But Sharov's epistolary novel "Return to Egypt" was recognized as the best. It was published in Znamya magazine (Nos. 7-8, 2013).
In his novel, historian and essayist Vladimir Sharov once again tries to unwind the tangle of Russian history. The readers in the letters are presented with the story of the family members of the protagonist Kolya Gogol. All of them are descendants of the great writer Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, living in the 20th century. Before the revolution, the family gathered in a Little Russian estate, where they staged and played The Inspector General, later everyone dispersed around the world - someone left, someone hid, and others died. Their correspondence is the basis of the novel. All the surviving members of the family are obsessed with one idea: if it were possibleto finish the remaining unfinished parts of Gogol's novel "Dead Souls", then the history of Russia could, under the influence of the artistic word, change the vector of development and take the right direction towards acceptance of God.
The novel "Return to Egypt" is purely theoretical, it is filled with historiosophy, mixed with the theme of mystical knowledge of God, very close to the author and well studied by him. The epistolary genre creates unobtrusiveness and lightness of the text, excursions into history are not accompanied by extensive arguments, but this does not make the novel superficial.
Of course, "Return to Egypt" is an outstanding historical and philosophical work that can become a reference book for readers with a penchant for reflection.
About the writer, candidate of historical sciences V. A. Sharov
Vladimir Sharov was born on April 07, 1952, a native Muscovite. His father is Alexander Sharov, a famous Soviet writer. The family is traditionally literary - close relatives of Vladimir were also writers, journalists or publishers.
After graduating from the Faculty of History of the University in Voronezh, he worked as a loader, then as a worker for archaeologists, then as a literary secretary.
He began his creative activity as a poet (New World magazine, 1979). His first novel, Track to Track, appeared in 1991. He wrote novels: "Before and During", "The Resurrection of Lazarus", "Should I not be sorry", "The Old Girl", etc. His books, which are of particular interest to the thinking public, have been translated into several foreign languages.
Without a doubt, Vladimir Sharovone of the brightest writers today. His novels are a favorite reading for Russian intellectuals. The author himself believes that he writes primarily for himself, and the fact that his thoughts are interesting to someone else is a gift for him.
Literary Award 2017
The next competition for the best Russian-language book has already been announced. From 2017, the premium fund will be provided by the Fetisov Illusion production company. Its size remains the same.
The jury, headed by chairman P. Aleshkovsky, Booker laureate in 2016, includes: literary critic A. Skvortsov, poet A. Purin, writer A. Snegirev (Booker Prize 2015), director of the regional library in M. Osipova Penza. The long list will be made public on September 8; six shortlisted finalists – 26 October. Well, the name of the winner will be announced on December 5.
Authors who published their novels between June 16 last year and June 15 this year can count on the nomination. Literary circles are waiting with great interest for the results.
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