Today, writing and publishing books in Russia is a risky endeavor. Publishers face prosecution under the so-called “publishers case,” while writers are labeled “foreign agents” and extremists. Many are tried in absentia, their quotes redacted from printed materials, and their books removed from libraries. In response, the Zimin Foundation has chosen to support the Prague Book Tower, a censorship-free book fair, that will take place in Prague September 12 to 14.

A special preview event will take place on September 11, with a screening of Connected, a documentary by Vera Krichevskaya that explores the life, values, and legacy of businessman and philanthropist Dmitry Zimin. The screening will be held at Atlas Cinema (tickets here).

Over the course of three days, Prague will become a hub for meeting new and established émigré publishing houses, bookstores, journals, and, of course, fellow book lovers. The fair will feature a rich, diverse cultural program on its two stages.

Vladimir Kharitonov, CTO of Freedom Letters and a visitor at last year’s fair, shared this story in an interview with New Europe newspaper: “One of the visitors told me, ‘I dreamed I was in St. Petersburg again, walking into a bookstore. I woke up in tears because I can never come back home. That very day, I learned about the fair in Prague, bought a ticket, and flew here to leaf through these books.’”

The Prague Book Tower is less about buying and selling books and more about bringing together friends and like-minded people to socialize and discuss literature. This year, for the first time, the fair will host a conference for independent bookstores operating outside of Russia, as well as a book pitching session for Czech translators and publishers. The program will include meetings with authors and translators, lectures for teenagers, and discussions for both children and adults.

The main program features representatives from 25 publishing houses from all over the world, 4 bookstores, 4 journals, and the Slavic Library of the Czech Republic.

The extended program includes writer-led walks through Prague’s iconic neighborhoods, an after-school reading club for children, and a visit to an IT company showcasing the latest trends in artificial intelligence.

This year’s special guests are independent Belarusian publishers: those continuing the long tradition of Belarusian-language publishing in the West, as well as those forced into exile after the events of 2020. Despite being separated from many of their readers, they remain active and successful abroad, supported by Belarusian diaspora communities across Europe and North America.

These publishers will present their latest books in Belarusian, Russian, and other languages. Featured Belarusian guests include authors Svetlana Ben, Zmiter Bartosik, Max Shchur, and others. Participating publishers include Czabor Publishing (Warsaw), Gutenberg Publisher (Krakow), Kamunikat (Białystok), SayBeat (Warsaw–Prague), and Skaryna Press (London).

Visitors will be able to purchase books in Russian, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Czech, and English at publisher prices.

In light of current events, we feel we need to offer extra support to Ukraine. Part of the proceeds from the sales of books and tickets to extended program events will be donated to Ukrainian and Czech organizations supporting victims of the war in Ukraine.

The Prague Book Tower 2025 fair and exhibition is supported by the Zimin Foundation, International Memorial, the Czech platform Přátelé svobodného Ruska, and the Slavic Library of the Czech Republic.
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Admission is free. Spojka Karlín, Pernerova 697/35, Praha

More details here

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