Russian culture abroad: “Russian Library” in 125 volumes to be published in the USA and Britain

At the BookExpo America, held in June 2012, within the Read Russia! program, Russia presented the project "Russian Library": a multi-volume series of books covering the literary heritage from chronicles to contemporary writers. The initiative of the Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications was supported by Peter Mayer, a well-known publisher, who had served as executive director of Penguin Books for 18 years, until 1996. In the U.S., he founded the Overlook Press independent publishing house (whose Ardis Publishing division  specializes in the publication of Russian literature in translation and the original version), and in the UK at the time he acquired and revived the Duckworth publishing house.

The Bookseller and Publishers Weekly magazines reveal some details about how the "Russian Library" will look like: first, it will include 125 volumes, not 25. Second, not only in the U.S., but also in the UK: both Overlook Press and Duckworth will be involved into the publishing. The issue of the first five books is scheduled for the autumn of 2013, their electronic copies as well. Then, each year it is planned to publish 10 volumes of Russian prose, drama and poetry. Publishers are going to use the existing "classic" translations, and to involve new translators. Each volume will be accompanied by an introduction and commentary.

According to Meyer, the aim of the project is to expand the boundaries of information about Russian culture beyond the well-known "classics" and make available to the reader many important works, almost unknown abroad.