Thursday, October 01, 2009

We Are Not Alone

Publishers seem to be hurting everywhere, not just here in the U.S., although that’s what we tend to focus on since that’s our home territory. I was reading about Russia’s publishing woes on the Russia Profile site. “The Russian publishing industry has been going through some turbulent times, with one high-profile bankruptcy and fears of more to follow.” There’s hope, though. The 2011 London Book Fair will make Russia its market focus and have programs that will coincide to bring cash to Russian publishers, writers and translators.
Alexis Kirschbaum, the editorial director at Penguin Classics in London, sees demand among UK readers for Russian literature as steady, if not growing. “Of all the languages, our Russian translations are the most popular,” Kirschbaum said. “Leo Tolstoy is far and away our best-selling Russian author in English. Fyodor Dostoevsky also sells well, as does Vladimir Nabokov.”
The UK book market is the second largest in Europe, but only a small fraction of sales are from Russian texts.

This will give you an idea of what types of books are being translated from Russian into English:
A third are 19th and 20th century Russian classics, a third are works of poetry and the final third are books written since 2000. In the UK, Penguin continues to release new and updated translations of Russian classics. This year has seen the release of new translations of Alexander Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin and Ivan Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons. The company is also set to release a reprint of Andrei Beliy’s Petersburg and Vladimir Nabokov’s final and unfinished novel The Original of Laura toward the end of this year.
And in case you were wondering what UK books are popular in Russian --
Rachel Stevens of the British Council highlighted the success of Ian McEwan, Ian Fleming, Iris Murdoch and Terry Pratchett. “Obviously, Russian readers read all the classics as well and Agatha Christie, who continues to be an all-time bestseller. Last year she sold more than 800,000 copies, which put her in third place among all foreign literature fiction sold,” said Stevens.
You can always count on Agatha Christie!
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19 comments:

  1. I'd love to see some modern Russian works though because I read most of the classics already. But I guess it's difficult for UK publishers to know which new writers to translate (and that their books will sell).

    Steamy Darcy

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  2. There's gotta be a way, Enid, to figure it out. Get some Russian speakers to read the popular books in Russia then decide which would sell in the UK and the US based on what is already popular here. I'm with you, let's here some modern Russian writers.

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  3. You're right Helen - I tend to focus on the U.S. so I found this post very interesting. I'm thinking publishers are hesistant about any unknown authors regardless of the country they're from and therefore feel safer sticking to the classics.

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  4. Well, that's true, Jane. The US publishers are focusing on the big names with big platforms and cutting midlist authors and not taking on new authors, so, of course, that would be true with authors outside of the US. A big part of the solution is for Russian publishers to be able to promote their authors outside of their country.

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  5. Interesting! It would be good to get more of a variety of different Russian works into English. Russian classics, while amazingly well-written, are...well, they're a little depressing sometimes. Maybe if we could get ahold of some more modern titles it could give the industry a lift.

    Elizabeth
    Mystery Writing is Murder

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  6. Russian literature depressing? Say what? ;-)

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  8. Interesting to read what is going on across the pond. I agree with Elizabeth's comment above, it would be nice to read contemporary Russian titles, to see where they're at, what works for them, what's their mainstream, commercial genre.

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  9. Thanks for posting this! I've seen the first two movies of Nightwatch and Daywatch and would love to read their coresponding Russian novels someday.

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  10. Yes Agatha does seem to be everywhere (smile). Only you, Helen, (well not ONLY you, but you are exceptional) would be looking up and reporting on the Russian markets. Appreciate all you do and these kids of posts.

    The Old Silly

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  12. This was a very informative post, Helen, thank you. Elizabeth's remark made me giggle; Russian literature a little depressing? Say it isn't so!

    Perhaps the publishing world should start focusing on a world market rather than its current rather xenophobic view for more authors rather than just the behemoths.

    Elspeth

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  13. This was interesting. I always love browsing the English bookstores when I'm back there, but I get back so rarely. I certainly remember there being more foreign and more literary books on the shelves. (And higher prices than here... ouch.)

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  14. Now, wouldn't that be something, Elspeth! I'm refusing to buy celebrity and political books. I don't believe they're worth millions more than the books written by those of you who stop by here every day!

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  15. Thanks for raising a topic that most of us hadn't thought of in a while. Like so many others, I have read a few of the Russian classics, and would be interested in reading current titles. It is always eye-opening to read books set in other places, and we certainly get a different feel for the Russian people by reading the fiction.

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  17. I bet there are some smart Russian speakers who could partner up with some publishing houses and figure this one out. I think it is a case of sticking with what you know. I don't have publishing houses pegged as massive risk takers. I am waiting to be proved wrong :)

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  18. Not that it is much comfort to know Russina publishers are struggling, too. But at least we're not alone.

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  19. The UK seems to be making a move to work with the Russian publishers.

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