Literary Agency "Goumen&Smirnova"

Ludmilla Petrushevskaya was born in Moscow in 1938. Petrushevskaya studied journalism at Moscow State University, and began writing prose in the mid ‘60s. Her first work was published in 1972, only to be followed by almost ten years of officially enforced silence, when the publication of her plays and prose was forbidden. At that time Petrsuhevskaya earned her living by working as a radio and television journalist and contributing to newspapers and literary magazines. When her somber and disturbing absurdist plays were finally staged, Ludmilla Petrushevskaya became widely recognized as one of Russia’s finest dramatists. A collection of short stories and monologues, IMMORTAL LOVE, was published in 1988 and met with stunning success among readers and critics alike. In 1992 Petrushevskaya’s novel THE TIME: NIGHT was short-listed for the Russian Booker Prize; it was translated into more 30 languages and included in college courses as one of the most important novels of the 20th century. Since then, Petrushevskaya has published over 30 books of prose. A 5-volume set of her writings was published in Russia in 1996. Today, award-winning plays by Petrushevskaya are produced around the world, while her prose pieces have been published in more than 30 countries. Ludmilla Petrushevskaya is considered to be the only indisputably canonical writer currently at work in Russia today.

Ludmilla Petrushevskaya’s recent publications (A BLACK COAT, 2002; IT HAPPENED IN SOKOLNIKI, 2002;WHERE I’VE BEEN, 2002; GODDESS OF THE PARK, 2004; NUMBER ONE, or IN THE GARDENS OF OTHER POSSIBILITIES, 2004; THE CITY OF LIGHT, 2005) have established her reputation with a new generation of readers as a master of the mystical thriller and short stories of magical realism.

In 1991, Petrushevskaya was awarded the Pushkin Prize by the Alfred Toepfer Foundation in Germany. She has also received prizes from the leading literary journals in Russia. Petrushevskaya’s novels THE TIME: NIGHT and NUMBER ONE, OR IN THE GARDENS OF OTHER POSSIBILITIES were short-listed for the Russian Booker Prize. In 2002, Petrushevskaya received Russia’s most prestigious prize, The Triumph, for lifetime achievement. Petrushevskaya’s play BIFEM was awarded the first prize at the New Drama Festival in 2003. In 2003 Ludmilla Petrushevskaya was awarded the State Prize of Russian Federation.

Ludmilla Petrushevskaya has also tried her hand at composing music, singing and drawing. Her watercolors have been displayed in major venues, including the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and the Russian Museum in St Petersburg. She released her first album with the indie band Inquisitorium in 2004.

Ludmilla Petrushevskaya is currently writing a new novel. She lives in Moscow.

Praise for the author:

«One of the finest living Russian writers... Her signature black humor and matter-of-fact prose result in an insightful and sympathetic portrait of a family in crisis».
Publishers Weekly

«Petrushevskaya is a strikingly original author».
The Guardian

«Told in an intimate, loose, over-the-back-fence style, this is an alternately funny and desperate book — a welcome introduction to a strong talent».
Kirkus Review

«The writing is beautifully controlled and the spirit large... She deserves a wide readership».
TLS

«A wonderfully talented and significant writer».
John Bayley

«THE TIME NIGHT is one of the most powerful books on poverty that has ever been written».
Amazon.com

«Petrushevskaya writes with humour, and has an obliqueness of style and unexpectedness of form that give the reader a sense of having found something unusual and unfamiliar».
Sunday Times

«These stories [IMMORTAL LOVE] sound sad, but they are unnerving rather than melancholy, dryly amusing at times».
The Observer

«Epic writing from a great author».
The Big Issue

«Petrushevskaya's novel is a crushingly intense account of one woman's struggle for survival in late Communist Russia».
Booklist

«There’s a strong sense of life’s capricious cruelties, but also of feisty resignation».
The Independent on Sunday

«For all their obvious Russian-ness, her characters face dilemmas that belong to us all. They are erring, comical, pitiful, courageous creatures, full of hope and desire – and all doomed to die».
Cosmopolitan

«This wry American debut, shortlisted for the Russian Booker Prize, is highly recommended for all fiction collections».
Library Journal

«[The stories] that make up this collection [IMMORTAL LOVE] are strange and deceptive, each one a gem of quiet rhetoric and writerly control. <…> These are tales of circumstance, appearance, and individuals».
New Statesman and Society

«Petrushevskaya takes the reader on an unforgettable journey into the domestic hell where there is too little of everything: too little food, too little space, too little love. THE TIME NIGHT provides a memorable glimpse into the dark side of life. Written in a stark, naturalistic style, the book brings the reader face to face with the harsh reality of life in Russia. It is not often a pleasant site, but it is one well worth the trouble».
The Moscow Times

The agency represents translation rights for all works by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya. Please, don’t hesitate to ask for more information about the author and her other titles.

NUMBER ONE, OR IN THE GARDENS OF OTHER POSSIBILITIES (Nomer odin, ili v sadah drugih vozmozhnostei)
THE LITTLE GIRL FROM THE METROPOL (Malenkaya devochka iz “Metropolia”)
MAGICAL-REALISTIC STORIES AND FAIRY TALES

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		Petrushevskaya, Ludmilla Ludmilla Petrushevskaya was born in Moscow in 1938. Petrushevskaya studied journalism at Moscow State University, and began writing prose in the mid ‘60s. Her first work was published in 1972, only to be followed by almost ten years of officially enforced silence, when the publication of her plays and prose was forbidden. At that time Petrsuhevskaya earned her living by working as a radio and television journalist and contributing to newspapers and literary magazines. When her somber and disturbing absurdist plays were finally staged, Ludmilla Petrushevskaya became widely recognized as one of Russia’s finest dramatists. A collection of short stories and monologues, IMMORTAL LOVE, was published in 1988 and met with stunning success among readers and critics alike. In 1992 Petrushevskaya’s novel THE TIME: NIGHT was short-listed for the Russian Booker Prize; it was translated into more 30 languages and included in college courses as one of the most important novels of the 20th century. Since then, Petrushevskaya has published over 30 books of prose. A 5-volume set of her writings was published in Russia in 1996. Today, award-winning plays by Petrushevskaya are produced around the world, while her prose pieces have been published in more than 30 countries. Ludmilla Petrushevskaya is considered to be the only indisputably canonical writer currently at work in Russia today. Ludmilla Petrushevskaya’s recent publications (A BLACK COAT, 2002; IT HAPPENED IN SOKOLNIKI, 2002;WHERE I’VE BEEN, 2002; GODDESS OF THE PARK, 2004; NUMBER ONE, or IN THE GARDENS OF OTHER POSSIBILITIES, 2004; THE CITY OF LIGHT, 2005) have established her reputation with a new generation of readers as a master of the mystical thriller and short stories of magical realism. In 1991, Petrushevskaya was awarded the Pushkin Prize by the Alfred Toepfer Foundation in Germany. She has also received prizes from the leading literary journals in Russia. Petrushevskaya’s novels THE TIME: NIGHT and NUMBER ONE, OR IN THE GARDENS OF OTHER POSSIBILITIES were short-listed for the Russian Booker Prize. In 2002, Petrushevskaya received Russia’s most prestigious prize, The Triumph, for lifetime achievement. Petrushevskaya’s play BIFEM was awarded the first prize at the New Drama Festival in 2003. In 2003 Ludmilla Petrushevskaya was awarded the State Prize of Russian Federation. Ludmilla Petrushevskaya has also tried her hand at composing music, singing and drawing. Her watercolors have been displayed in major venues, including the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and the Russian Museum in St Petersburg. She released her first album with the indie band Inquisitorium in 2004. Ludmilla Petrushevskaya is currently writing a new novel. She lives in Moscow. Praise for the author: «One of the finest living Russian writers... Her signature black humor and matter-of-fact prose result in an insightful and sympathetic portrait of a family in crisis». Publishers Weekly «Petrushevskaya is a strikingly original author». The Guardian «Told in an intimate, loose, over-the-back-fence style, this is an alternately funny and desperate book — a welcome introduction to a strong talent». Kirkus Review «The writing is beautifully controlled and the spirit large... She deserves a wide readership». TLS «A wonderfully talented and significant writer». John Bayley «THE TIME NIGHT is one of the most powerful books on poverty that has ever been written». Amazon.com «Petrushevskaya writes with humour, and has an obliqueness of style and unexpectedness of form that give the reader a sense of having found something unusual and unfamiliar». Sunday Times «These stories [IMMORTAL LOVE] sound sad, but they are unnerving rather than melancholy, dryly amusing at times». The Observer «Epic writing from a great author». The Big Issue «Petrushevskaya's novel is a crushingly intense account of one woman's struggle for survival in late Communist Russia». Booklist «There’s a strong sense of life’s capricious cruelties, but also of feisty resignation». The Independent on Sunday «For all their obvious Russian-ness, her characters face dilemmas that belong to us all. They are erring, comical, pitiful, courageous creatures, full of hope and desire – and all doomed to die». Cosmopolitan «This wry American debut, shortlisted for the Russian Booker Prize, is highly recommended for all fiction collections». Library Journal «[The stories] that make up this collection [IMMORTAL LOVE] are strange and deceptive, each one a gem of quiet rhetoric and writerly control. <…> These are tales of circumstance, appearance, and individuals». New Statesman and Society «Petrushevskaya takes the reader on an unforgettable journey into the domestic hell where there is too little of everything: too little food, too little space, too little love. THE TIME NIGHT provides a memorable glimpse into the dark side of life. Written in a stark, naturalistic style, the book brings the reader face to face with the harsh reality of life in Russia. It is not often a pleasant site, but it is one well worth the trouble». The Moscow Times The agency represents translation rights for all works by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya. Please, don’t hesitate to ask for more information about the author and her other titles.
		NUMBER ONE, OR IN THE GARDENS OF OTHER POSSIBILITIES (Nomer odin, ili v sadah drugih vozmozhnostei) THE LITTLE GIRL FROM THE METROPOL (Malenkaya devochka iz “Metropolia”) MAGICAL-REALISTIC STORIES AND FAIRY TALES

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