The first Russian stand at BookExpo America New York, 25 - 27 May 2010 This year the BOOKS FROM RUSSIA stand took part in BookExpo America, the main fair in the American book industry. The stand was organised by the Russian Federal agency for Press and Mass Communications and represented a range of Russian publishers. BookExpo America is currently undergoing major changes, transforming itself from a fair which focused primarily on the domestic market into an international book forum.

Boris Ryzhy Director Aliona van der Horst NETHERLANDS/2008/BETACAM/COLOUR/59 MIN/RUSSIAN ENGLISH SUBTITLES Prize-winning documentary film by Aliona van der Horst about Russian poet Boris Ryzhy "All of my poems speak only of love and death," wrote Russian poet Boris Ryzhy (1974-2001) in 2000. "But all the same, I'm happy with my wife and son." One year later, the charming young tough, who had already achieved considerable literary renown, hanged himself-in so doing following in the footsteps of many Russian artists before him. The author of a thousand poems and recipient of Russia's most prestigious literary prize, he was only 26 years old. Trying to understand what drove him to suicide, van der Horst uncovers the hidden drama of the entire perestroika generation, for which Boris Ryzhy was the standard bearer. "We were deprived of communism without being given access to capitalism," explains his widow. The perestroika years of the Yeltsin era, a time that we in the West associate with democracy and freedom, have an entirely different meaning in the anarchic streets of Yekaterinenburg, the industrial city where Ryzhy grew up and which so marked his life and work. However, despite this dark reality, Ryzhy's love of life is what comes to the fore in van der Horst's poetic film: through his work, pain is transformed into grace.

The Yeltsin Foundation undertakes a broad range of educational, scientific, scholarly and cultural projects. It strives to promote humanitarian and cultural cooperation and an open exchange of ideas and information between Russia and the West. They publish political, analytical and historical research and support literary translation from Russian into other languages.

Bridget Kendall, the much-admired BBC diplomatic correspondent, never fails to delight and impress audiences by the clarity of her delivery and the perceptiveness of her insights into many societies and cultures from around the world, and especially on Russia. She has spent several extended periods of study in Russia as a British Council Exchange Student at Voronezh State University in 1976-77 and again in 1981-82 at Moscow State University, while reading modern languages at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. She subsequently undertook postgraduate research in Soviet Studies at St Antony’s College Oxford and Harvard (USA).

Tuesday, 15 April, 1 pm
Russian Stand (X505), London Book Fair, Earls Court, London
Launch of the programme established by Academia Rossica and The Yeltsin Foundation, aiming to promote new Russian writing internationally
In Russian and English

Alexander Drozdov has been Director of the First President of Russia Boris Yeltsin Foundation since its inception in November 2000. The foundation undertakes a broad range of educational, scientific, scholarly and cultural projects. It strives to promote cultural cooperation and an open exchange of ideas and information between Russia and the West. After establishing together with Academia Rossica the Rossica Translation Prize, the only prize for literary translation from Russian into English in the world, the foundation has subsequently establishes prizes for literary translation from Russia into French and Italian, with Spanish and German soon to follow.
We are indeed privileged to benefit from the insights of such visionary people as Alexander Drozdov, who wish to promote a greater understanding of Russian culture in all its varied aspects.

Tuesday, 15 April, 1 pm
Russian Stand (X505), London Book Fair, Earls Court, London
Launch of the programme established by Academia Rossica and The Yeltsin Foundation, aiming to promote new Russian writing internationally
In Russian and English

Alexander Drozdov has been Director of the First President of Russia Boris Yeltsin Foundation since its inception in November 2000. The foundation undertakes a broad range of educational, scientific, scholarly and cultural projects. It strives to promote cultural cooperation and an open exchange of ideas and information between Russia and the West. After establishing together with Academia Rossica the Rossica Translation Prize, the only prize for literary translation from Russian into English in the world, the foundation has subsequently establishes prizes for literary translation from Russia into French and Italian, with Spanish and German soon to follow.