Russia

Today would have been Vasily Grossman’s birthday and in honour of the occasion, I am trying to fit in a few chapters…

I realised that although two other recent reviews – The Comrade from Milan and Second-Hand Time – mentioned Maria Stepanova’s family history,…

Reading In Memory of Memory made me think about how we consider ours and our relatives’ recollections not only of far-off things,…

When Svetlana Alexievich was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2015, the reports noted that English translations of her work were ‘sparse.’ Happily…

In the limbo period of Xmas and New Year I found myself taking several parties of friends and families around the Pool…

Famous opening lines of novels often get bandied about in lists, but it wasn’t until I read From Russia With Love for…

John Maguire brings a message of love to thaw the most snow-covered of hearts… When Cupid draws back his bow this year,…