UK is country of honour at Russia Book Fair

The UK will be the Country of Honour at Russia’s International Book Fair at the end of November.

Taking part in the UK delegation will be 13 British writers including Julian Barnes, Sebastian Faulks, Emma Healey and Dame Marina Warner.

Alongside the authors, a delegation of a dozen book publishers and literary agents from the UK will participate in a professional programme at the fair, where they will meet Russian colleagues to share experiences, exchange knowledge and establish closer co-operation. The programme will be led by the Publishers Association and the Department for International Trade.

The UK Pavilion located at the centre of the Central House of Artists will host publisher meetings, author events and a "unique" pop-up British bookshop featuring books by British authors in English and Russian translation.

Visitors to the pavilion will have the opportunity to contribute a word to a live printed book of verse based on Shakespeare’s sonnets. The installation was commissioned by the British Council from leading British artists Henningham Family Press in collaboration with the British Higher School of Art and Design. There will be special events throughout the fair including readings, performances, seminars for publishers, signing sessions and receptions. One of the key events of the UK programme will be the announcement and award of the All-Russia English-Russian literary translation contest. The full programme will be released shortly on the British Council website.

The participation of the United Kingdom as Country of Honour at the non/fictio№18 is the culmination of the UK-Russia Year of Language and Literature 2016 programme.