SLOVO Russian Literature Festival is now officially open! Thank you to all who came to our opening night! Many thanks to Vera Polozkova for her breathtaking performance! A true poet! Have a look at the photos from the SLOVO opening night here>>>  Vera’s second event today (7 March) and the Praktika theatre performance are already fully booked. So to avoid disappointment, make sure you book your tickets now for the other SLOVO events. The full programme of the festival can be found at http://academia-rossica.org/en/literature/slovo-festival, and below are some highlights for the coming week.   But SLOVO isn’t the only Russian event to take place in London this March:   6th Annual Russian Business Week London School of Economics 15-16 March 2013   Russian Business Week is a great opportunity to hear from the most inspiring Russian and international leaders of the business world, including policymakers, financiers and businessmen.   It will be opened by Alexey Kudrin, Former Minister of Finance of Russian Federation, Other speakers include Boris Titov, Federal Ombudsman For Business in Russia Evgeny Chichvarkin, Founder of Evroset and Hedonism Wines and Alexey Venediktov, Chief Editor of Echo of Moscow.   Don’t miss this event - www.rbwforum.com _____________________________________________________ SLOVO highlighs for the coming week: Rethinking History through Literature Writer Vladimir Sharov in conversation with translator Oliver Ready (in Russian with English translation) Friday 8 March, 6.30pm Waterstones Piccadilly Tickets: £5 Book here >>> Renowned yet mysterious historical novelist Vladimir Sharov joins us to talk about his works, presenting an alternate view of history through literature and philosophy. He will discuss his books with his esteemed translator Oliver Ready. _____________________________________________________ Rigas Laiks - Let’s Talk! Presented by the publisher Arnis Ritups (in Russian) Saturday 9 March, 6.30pm MacDougall’s Arts Tickets: £5 Book here >>> Publisher, translator and philosopher Arnis Ritups presents a project unlike any other: Rīgas Laiks, which opens a window into the minds of some of the most significant people who have shaped our society and culture across a wide range of fields - from philosophy to science, from literature to music. _____________________________________________________ Animation for all! Mari Vanna & Academia Rossica Sunday Club (in Russian) Sunday 10 March, 11.30am Mari Vanna 116 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7PJ To book your table call 0207 2253 122 or email info@marivanna.co.uk For all who are young or young at heart! Come along to Mari Vanna to watch some beautiful animations! Come and see some of the best-loved classic tales of Russian literature brought to life as part of SLOVO festival. _____________________________________________________ Internal Colonisation: Russia’s Imperial Experience Alexander Etkind in conversation with Dmitry Bykov (in Russian) Sunday 10 March, 5pm MacDougall’s Arts Tickets: £5 Book here >>> Alexander Etkind, Professor of Russian Literature and Cultural History at the University of Cambridge, is joined by Dmitry Bykov, one of Russia’s most prominent and admired writers and public intellectuals, to discuss the role of Russian writers in building the Russian Empire. _________________________________________________ The Price of the Word: Poetry and Media An Evening with poet and media guru Demyan Kudryavtsev (in Russian with English translation) Monday 11 March, 6:30 pm Waterstones Piccadilly Tickets: £5 Book here >>> Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from Demyan Kudryavtsev, CEO of Kommersant from 2006-2012. This master of words will reflect on the complex relationship between literature and the media, taking inspiration from his experience and his own deeply lyrical, romantic and heroic poetry. _____________________________________________________ Short Stories by Mikhail Segal (in Russian with English translation) Monday 11 March, 8pm Waterstones Piccadilly Tickets: £5 Book here >>> How can you turn a book into a film? Mikhail Segal, film director and writer, will talk about the process of turning his writing into a film: the highly acclaimed ‘Short Stories’, which won numerous major awards, including Best Screenplay at the 23rd Kinotavr Festival, and which was screened at the 6th London Russian Film Festival and the 56th BFI Film Festival. _____________________________________________________ An Evening with Dmitry Bykov Tuesday 12 March, 6.30pm Waterstones Piccadilly Tickets: £5 Book here >>> Dmitry Bykov needs no introduction, and we are thrilled that he is joining us at SLOVO to discuss his diverse literary output, from the hugely successful biography of Boris Pasternak to the literary sensation ZhD, as well as his latest critically acclaimed novel IKS. ________________________________________________ SLOVO festival continues until the 26 March. We very much look forward to seeing you at all our events! To make sure you don’t miss out, get your tickets now at http://academia-rossica.org/en/literature/slovo-festival Join SLOVO on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/events/382636898501404/