Ad Lib signs 'Kafkaesque' memoir from Pereverzin

Ad Lib has signed The Prisoner: Behind Bars in Putin’s Russia from Vladimir Pereverzin and translated by Anna Gunin. 

Editorial director Duncan Proudfoot acquired world English language rights directly from the author. Originally published in Russia in 2013, the book will be published by Ad Lib in paperback, audio and e-book on 11th April 2024. 

The Prisoner is Pereverzin’s "shocking", "Kafkaesque" but "wryly humorous" memoir.

Pereverzin commented: "Unfortunately, my story has not lost any relevance. And my fears have come true: Russia today has turned into a giant high-security Gulag. The Russian prison camp system is a microcosm of Russian society, with everything revolving around the whims of the despot in charge. The same Kafkaesque details of life in a correctional facility are now seeping into the whole of Russia’s reality."

Gunin added: "Translating Vladimir’s memoir was a fascinating experience. He has a natural gift for storytelling, bringing scenes such as the moment he first stepped into an overcrowded prison cell vividly to life. In Russia, the genre of prison-camp memoir is as grimly relevant as ever. And Pereverzin’s story is a compelling addition to the canon."