Writers and book publishing industry professionals from 35 different countries came to Moscow to talk at length about literary life
The ceremony was held at Moscow Gostiny Dvor, the historic intersection of cultures, languages, customs, and mores. The musical accompaniment was provided by the Moscow City band.
Russian Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova welcomed the writers with a video address. Sergey Stepashin, chair of the AWPUR Supervisory Board and president of the Russian Book Union, stressed the imperative need to bring back the culture of family reading: “Everything starts in the family: the reading, the respect, and education.”
“Nothing is more important than meeting each other and communicating face to face,” remarked Vladimir Tolstoy, president of the International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature and head of the AWPUR Creative Council. “As a friend of mine once said, we meet for a thought embrace. It’s a lovely way to put it! Let’s try our best to make sure this joyous occasion also proves meaningful and beneficial for our shared future.”
Chairman of AWPUR, writer Sergey Shargunov, outlined the forum’s keynote topics: finer points of translation, children’s literature, 21st century poetry and prose, the writer’s role as educator, what a literary community is, and how to exist together.
“I sincerely hope that this tradition we have of getting together will never be interrupted,” Shargunov said in his closing remarks, “and that we will keep seeing each other and travelling to visit each other.”
Vladimir Grigoriev, head of the Department of the Government Support of Periodical Press and Book Industry at the Ministry of Digital Development, believes this project is more than just an ambitious idea – it is a very real opportunity:
“Russian culture is polyphonic, we have always welcomed different voices in it. We know how to listen, and we really want to be heard, too.”
Russian Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova welcomed the writers with a video address. Sergey Stepashin, chair of the AWPUR Supervisory Board and president of the Russian Book Union, stressed the imperative need to bring back the culture of family reading: “Everything starts in the family: the reading, the respect, and education.”
“Nothing is more important than meeting each other and communicating face to face,” remarked Vladimir Tolstoy, president of the International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature and head of the AWPUR Creative Council. “As a friend of mine once said, we meet for a thought embrace. It’s a lovely way to put it! Let’s try our best to make sure this joyous occasion also proves meaningful and beneficial for our shared future.”
Chairman of AWPUR, writer Sergey Shargunov, outlined the forum’s keynote topics: finer points of translation, children’s literature, 21st century poetry and prose, the writer’s role as educator, what a literary community is, and how to exist together.
“I sincerely hope that this tradition we have of getting together will never be interrupted,” Shargunov said in his closing remarks, “and that we will keep seeing each other and travelling to visit each other.”
Vladimir Grigoriev, head of the Department of the Government Support of Periodical Press and Book Industry at the Ministry of Digital Development, believes this project is more than just an ambitious idea – it is a very real opportunity:
“Russian culture is polyphonic, we have always welcomed different voices in it. We know how to listen, and we really want to be heard, too.”