Andrey Kurkov

Fresh from a case that has shattered his belief in the regime he works for, Samson Kolechko is confronted with a mystery that borders on the impossible. A troop of Red Army soldiers has disappeared without a trace while visiting the Halytska bathhouse, their abandoned boots and uniforms the only proof that they ever existed. Faced with such a fantastical conundrum, Samson must resort to a fantastical investigation method: stitching his operative severed ear into a bathhouse worker's jacket, he is able to eavesdrop on his every move. But he discovers far more than he bargained for, and matters are further complicated by the human remains found in the stoves and the presence of a sinister religious cult in the city. With his quick-witted new wife Nadezhda at his side, Samson must not only solve the case but navigate the political turmoil that still grips Kyiv as civil war looms and trust between neighbours and comrades is eroded day by day. In the third of his Kyiv Mysteries, Andrey Kurkov, Ukraine's greatest living novelist, vividly depicts a city filled with political turbulence and eccentric characters - and draws ominous parallels with the present day. Translated from the Russian by Boris Dralyuk

Samson Kolechko has been assigned a most perplexing case - though it is mostly perplexing because it's hard to understand why selling the meat of one's own pig constitutes a crime. But apparently it does, and at the insistence of the Chekist secret police officer assigned to "reinforce" the Lybid police station, Samson does his diligent - if diffident - best. Yet no sooner has he got started than his live-in fiancée Nadezhda is abducted by striking railway workers who object to the census she's carrying out. And when you factor in a mysterious thief in the police station itself, a deadly tram accident that may have been pre-meditated, and the potential reappearance of the culprit in the case of the silver bone, it's no wonder the "meat case" takes a back seat. But it is in the pursuit of that petty-fogging, seemingly mundane matter that Samson's fate lies - and Nadezhda's too, for the two are inextricably entwined. Translated from the Russian by Boris DraylukReviews for The Silver Bone - Longlisted for the International Booker Prize"Andrey Kurkov is often called Ukraine's greatest living writer, and it is a gift for crime fiction fans that he writes in this genre" New York Times"Wildly enjoyable . . . A glorious aural portrait of a city in dangerous flux . . . I finished The Silver Bone wishing to read more" Guardian

The third volume of Kurkov’s critically acclaimed, intimate and deeply moving war diaries: a poignant, personal account of life under siege in Ukraine – rich with humanity, dark humour, and unforgettable resilience amidst devastation.   “Clever, passionate” The Times   “The pieces are flawlessly structured; the tone is devoid of self-pity … Yet saturating the book is a note of savage black comedy, the farce of a world made weird by unimaginable violence” Spectator   “Uplifting and utterly defiant” Daily Express “No-one with the slightest interest in this war, or the nation on which it is being waged, should fail to read Andrey Kurkov” Daily Mail   ______  Andrey Kurkov’s war diaries continue – a searing, deeply human portrait of a nation reshaped by war.   In this third volume of Andrey Kurkov’s war diaries, Ukraine’s greatest living writer chronicles the third year of the full-scale invasion from his home in Kyiv and from journeys all over the country – capturing moments of horror, resilience, absurdity and grace with unmatched clarity.   Children on a contested border wear hooded bulletproof vests to school; soldiers write haiku; professional clowns go to war; and the mother of a young soldier, killed in battle, uses his compensation money to create a rehabilitation centre for veterans. Roses bloom across Ukraine in quiet tribute to a florist and soldier killed in Avdiivka, remembered by those who once bought his flowers.   The Dnipro River seems to slow when the first missiles fall, as though nature itself had paused in shock. In Pokrovsk, 7,500 residents refuse to leave a city that no longer exists – their homes obliterated but their will unbroken. A general’s seventeen-year-old pet toad becomes an iconic symbol of defiance. And buried beneath a cherry tree, a murdered writer’s final diary is recovered, a haunting echo of a silenced voice.   From the home front to the trenches, Kurkov captures the rhythms of survival – the quiet rituals, unlikely joys, unexpected humour and appalling costs – in an intimate and deeply moving record of national endurance. Three Years on Fire is a luminous act of remembrance, rich with unforgettable detail and human spirit, from a writer whose voice stands witness to everything Ukraine has lost – and everything it refuses to give up.  From the international bestselling author of The Stolen Heart, Death and the Penguin and The Grey Bees   ______  Praise for Andrey Kurkov’s war diaries   “Andrey Kurkov [is] one of the most articulate ambassadors to the West for the situation in his homeland,” Sam Leith, Spectator “Immediate and important … From the grim incredulity at Russians massing on the border to the displacement of millions of people, this is an insider's account of how an ordinary life became extraordinary. It is also about survival, hope and humanity,” Helen Davies, The Times “Ukraine’s greatest novelist is fighting for his country,” Giles Harvey, New York Times   “The author's on-the-ground account is packed with surprising details about the human effects of the Russian assault ... His voice is genial but also impassioned, never more so than when deploring Putin's efforts to erase Ukrainian culture and history. Ukraine, he says, ‘will either be free, independent and European, or it will not exist at all’. That's why the war has to be fought, with no concession of territory. And he remains quietly hopeful that it will be won,” Blake Morrison, Guardian

Samson Kolechko has been assigned a most perplexing case - though it is mostly perplexing because it''s hard to understand why selling the meat of one''s own pig constitutes a crime. But apparently it does, and at the insistence of the Chekist secret police officer assigned to "reinforce" the Lybid police station, Samson does his diligent - if diffident - best.Yet no sooner has he got started than his live-in fiancée Nadezhda is abducted by striking railway workers who object to the census she''s carrying out. And when you factor in a mysterious thief in the police station itself, a deadly tram accident that may have been pre-meditated, and the potential reappearance of the culprit in the case of the silver bone, it''s no wonder the "meat case" takes a back seat.But it is in the pursuit of that petty-fogging, seemingly mundane matter that Samson''s fate lies - and Nadezhda''s too, for the two are inextricably entwined.Translated from the Russian by Boris DralyukReviews for The Silver Bone - Longlisted for the International Booker Prize"Andrey Kurkov is often called Ukraine''s greatest living writer, and it is a gift for crime fiction fans that he writes in this genre" New York Times"Wildly enjoyable . . . A glorious aural portrait of a city in dangerous flux . . . I finished The Silver Bone wishing to read more" Guardian

Samson Kolechko has been assigned a most perplexing case - though it is mostly perplexing because it's hard to understand why selling the meat of one's own pig constitutes a crime. But apparently it does, and at the insistence of the Chekist secret police officer assigned to "reinforce" the Lybid police station, Samson does his diligent - if diffident - best. Yet no sooner has he got started than his live-in fiancée Nadezhda is abducted by striking railway workers who object to the census she's carrying out. And when you factor in a mysterious thief in the police station itself, a deadly tram accident that may have been pre-meditated, and the potential reappearance of the culprit in the case of the silver bone, it's no wonder the "meat case" takes a back seat. But it is in the pursuit of that petty-fogging, seemingly mundane matter that Samson's fate lies - and Nadezhda's too, for the two are inextricably entwined. Translated from the Russian by Boris Dralyuk

Ten years on from the annexation of Crimea, two years on from Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainian people continue to fight back. In the second volume of his war diaries, Andrey Kurkov gives a fresh perspective on a people for whom resistance and solidarity have become a matter of survival. Our Daily War is a chronological record of the heterogeneous mix that comprises Ukrainian life and thought in the teeth of Russian aggression, from the constant stress of air raids, the deportation of citizens from the occupied regions and the whispers of governmental corruption to Christmas celebrations, crowdfunding and the recipe for a “trench candle”. Kurkov’s human’s-eye view on the war in Ukraine is by turns bitingly satirical, tragic, humorous and heartfelt. It is also, in the manner of Pepys, an invaluable insight into the history, politics and culture of Ukraine. Our Daily War is the ideal primer for anyone who would like to know what life is like in that country today.

All that stands between one man and murder by the mafia is a penguin. Viktor is an aspiring writer in Ukraine with only Misha, his pet penguin, for company. Although Viktor would prefer to write short stories, he earns a living composing obituaries for a newspaper. He longs to see his work published, yet the subjects of his obituaries continue to cling to life. But when Viktor opens the newspaper to see his work in print for the first time, his pride swiftly turns to terror. Viktor and Misha have been drawn into a trap from which there appears to be no escape.

Rozvedený padesátník Sergej Sergejič si nepřeje o moc víc než pomáhat svým včelám v klidu sbírat pyl. Jenže žije na ukrajinském Donbasu, kde se už léta vleče válka s neustálou propagandou. A tak na jaře naloží včely na přívěs a putuje přes několik hraničních přechodů až na Krym… Prostá mise ve prospěch včel ho vede přes nejžhavější místa probíhajícího konfliktu. Dostává se do kontaktu s vojáky i civilisty na obou stranách bojové linie: loajalisty, separatisty, ruskými okupanty i krymskými Tatary, u nichž nakonec nachází útočiště. Navzdory tíživému tématu je román o rozvíjející se krizi na Ukrajině plný černého humoru a groteskních prvků. A kdo jiný než nejslavnější ukrajinský spisovatel – narozený v Rusku a píšící v ruštině – může osvětlit tento nepochopitelný konflikt? Andrej Kurkov je ukrajinský spisovatel, scenárista a publicista. Jeho knihy byly přeloženy do více než čtyřiceti jazyků. Za Šedé včely získal v roce 2022 prestižní francouzskou literární cenu Médicis, za svůj starší román Jimi Hendrix živě ve Lvově (2012) byl v roce 2023 nominován na Mezinárodní Bookerovu cenu. I během probíhající války zůstává na Ukrajině a tamní situaci často komentuje pro evropská a americká média.

V dedine Malá Starogradovka v takzvanej sivej zóne na ukrajinskom Donbase bývajú už len dvaja ľudia: Ukrajinec, včelár Sergejič a jeho „nepriateľ z detstva“, prívrženec separatistov Paška, dvaja muži s odlišným pohľadom na život počas podivnej vojny. Včelár sa jedného dňa rozhodne z dediny odísť a odviezť svoje včely na bezpečnejšie územie – najprv na Ukrajinu, potom na Rusmi anektovaný Krym. Ukrajinský spisovateľ Andrej Kurkov sugestívne rozvíja príbehy ľudí, ktorí žijú svoj obyčajný život v nevšedných podmienkach a ktorých každodenná realita je naozaj všetko iné ako všedná. Román Sivé včely bol preložený do vyše dvadsiatich jazykov a autor zaň dostal viacero významných medzinárodných literárnych cien. Publikáciu z verejných zdrojov podporil Fond na podporu umenia.

Rozvedený padesátník Sergej Sergejič si nepřeje o moc víc než pomáhat svým včelám v klidu sbírat pyl. Jenže žije na ukrajinském Donbasu, kde se už léta vleče válka s neustálou propagandou. A tak na jaře naloží včely na přívěs a putuje přes několik hraničních přechodů až na Krym… Prostá mise ve prospěch včel ho vede přes nejžhavější místa probíhajícího konfliktu. Dostává se do kontaktu s vojáky i civilisty na obou stranách bojové linie: loajalisty, separatisty, ruskými okupanty i krymskými Tatary, u nichž nakonec nachází útočiště. Navzdory tíživému tématu je román o rozvíjející se krizi na Ukrajině plný černého humoru a groteskních prvků. A kdo jiný než nejslavnější ukrajinský spisovatel – narozený v Rusku a píšící v ruštině – může osvětlit tento nepochopitelný konflikt?

A cabinet of curiosities, a time machine, a treasure trove - we love bookshops because they possess a unique kind of magic. In Browse Henry Hitchings asks fifteen writers from around the world to reveal their favourite bookshops, each conjuring a specific time and place. Ali Smith chronicles the secrets and personal stories hidden within the pages of secondhand books; Alaa Al Aswany tells of the Cairo bookshop where revolutionaries gathered during the 2011 uprisings; Elif Shafak evokes the bookstores of Istanbul, their chaos and diversity, their aroma of tobacco and coffee. Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor recalls the quandary of choosing just one book at a favourite childhood store in Nairobi, while Iain Sinclair shares his grief on witnessing a beloved old haunt close down. Others explore bookshops they have stumbled upon, adored and become addicted to, from Delhi to Bogota. These inquisitive, enchanting pieces are a collective celebration of bookshops - for anyone who has ever fallen under their spell. Contributors include: Alaa Al Aswany (Egypt) Stefano Benni (Italy) Michael Dirda (USA) Daniel Kehlmann (Germany) Andrey Kurkov (Ukraine) Yiyun Li (China) Pankaj Mishra (India) Dorthe Nors (Denmark) Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor (Kenya) Elif Shafak (Turkey) Ian Sansom (UK) Iain Sinclair (UK) Ali Smith (UK) Sasa Stanisic (Germany/Bosnia) Juan Gabriel Vasquez (Colombia)