Born in Kazan, Guzel Yakhina is a Russian author and screenwriter. She is the winner of the Big Book literary prize and the Yasnaya Polyana Literary Award. She has denounced Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, stating publicly that “This is not my war. I refuse to consider it mine.” Her novel A Volga Tale (Europa, 2023) was described as “magnificent” by Ron Charles, “sumptuous” by the Wall Street Journal, and as a “rich epic” in the New Yorker.Polly Gannon is a literary translator and quilter. She holds a PhD in Russian literature from Cornell University. For many years, she has taught intersectional cultural studies, translation and poetry. She lives in Berlin.

“A bold and original literary portrait of an artist trapped between genius and terror.”

Born in Kazan, Guzel Yakhina is a Russian author and screenwriter. She is the winner of the Big Book literary prize and the Yasnaya Polyana Literary Award. She has denounced Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, stating publicly that “This is not my war. I refuse to consider it mine.” Her novel A Volga Tale (Europa, 2023) was described as “magnificent” by Ron Charles, “sumptuous” by the Wall Street Journal, and as a “rich epic” in the New Yorker.Polly Gannon is a literary translator and quilter. She holds a PhD in Russian literature from Cornell University. For many years, she has taught intersectional cultural studies, translation and poetry. She lives in Berlin.

“A bold and original literary portrait of an artist trapped between genius and terror.”

Born in Kazan, Guzel Yakhina is a Russian author and screenwriter. She is the winner of the Big Book literary prize and the Yasnaya Polyana Literary Award. She has denounced Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, stating publicly that “This is not my war. I refuse to consider it mine.” Her novel A Volga Tale (Europa, 2023) was described as “magnificent” by Ron Charles, “sumptuous” by the Wall Street Journal, and as a “rich epic” in the New Yorker.Polly Gannon is a literary translator and quilter. She holds a PhD in Russian literature from Cornell University. For many years, she has taught intersectional cultural studies, translation and poetry. She lives in Berlin.

“A bold and original literary portrait of an artist trapped between genius and terror.”