British authors are offered double royalties for the right to translate their books in Russia – Kommersant

British writers are being offered higher fees this year for the right to publish their books in Russia. The Guardian. We are talking mainly about such genres as crime and romance novels, as well as fantasy. Offers from Russia tend to be several thousand pounds higher and often reach £5,000, literary agents say.

One writer, who has not been named, said she had just turned down a substantial rights offer, equivalent to several thousand pounds, for her recently published book, although the amount was higher than usual. “I would feel like a hypocrite if I agreed,” said the author of popular historical novels.

“The fact that Russian publishing houses make such significant offers is hard for some to refuse. It also shows how desperately the Russian book trade is trying to get its hands on Western books,” she said. “Some agencies have a general rule not to do business with Russia… We work with Russians directly, not through agencies, so we have a different relationship. We know which publishers are trying to work differently or have moved,” commented Lauren Laluyo, head of the international department of the RCW agency.

After the start of the military operation, some famous writers, including Neil Gaiman and Stephen King, said they would not agree to any publication of their works in Russia during the conflict, and J.K. Rowling withdrew the online rights to the Harry Potter book from the two largest Russian e-book libraries. However, other writers privately believe that Russian readers need to have constant access to foreign literature, notes The Guardian.

The total circulation of books and brochures in the Russian Federation in the first quarter amounted to 69 million copies, which is 23% less than in the first quarter of 2022 (90 million copies).

Read more in the publication “Kommersant” “Circulations are printed”.

Maria Fedotova