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Conceived in 2000 by writer Dmitry Lipskerov and State Duma Deputy Andrei Skoch, the award has quickly become one of the major literary events of the year, propelling young authors to overnight success. Winners are regularly profiled in major literary magazines, critically appraised in newspaper columns and performed on stages around the globe.
The selection process always draws attention, too, as organizers invite first-rank literary celebrities to judge the works. This year, the jury is headed by writer Chingiz Aitmatov, well-known to readers in Russia and abroad since Soviet times. Another jury member is poet and novelist Sergei Gandlevsky, a winner of both the Booker and Anti-Booker prizes, while the award's council is chaired by Edvard Radzinsky, a playwright, author of pop-history books and notable television personality.
Submissions are limited to writers aged 25 and younger, but there are no geographic constraints as long as the text is in Russian. Previous laureates have come from all over the former Soviet Union, and from such faraway countries as South Africa and Japan. The initial cut is made by "readers," a term specifically pronounced in English to emphasize the extent to which shuffling through the 40,000 entries actually constitutes reading.
This year's long list is longer than usual, with 87 items as opposed to the usual 70 or so. Apart from the permanent categories of prose, short prose, poetry and drama, there is always a variable nomination; this year, the slot is filled by criticism and journalism.
Speaking at the ceremony, coordinator Olga Slavnikova said that organizers have had only limited success in coaxing publishers to invest their resources in young, emerging writers.
Some of the long-list nominees were singled out for attention, including Kirov-born Anton Botev, author of an unconventional historical novel about naval warfare in Mongolia, and Ruslan Bredikhin, from Kolomna, who characterized his play, "Bed Scenes," as a exploration of "relationships between men and women." The evening concluded with an attractive spread of sandwiches, fruit and vodka.
"This nation's will for self-expression is amazing," said council chairman Radzinsky at the end of the ceremony. "People who make two spelling mistakes in the word 'debut' submit their opuses anyway. The entries' level of talent and education varies so much that it is in itself staggering. This is a totally new, free generation, quite unlike us. What can I say? Russia is an incredible country."
