At a press conference at the Read Russia booth at the recent BookExpo America convention, Overlook Press publisher Peter Mayer announced a publishing collaboration with the Russian Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communication to launch a series of classic and contemporary Russian literature in English translation in print and digital editions. The new series will release at least 125 volumes over the next 10 years beginning in 2013.
Mayer was joined at the press conference by Vladimir Grigoriev of the Russian Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communication. Mayer outlined an ambitious program that he said was modeled after the Library of America publishing program here in the U.S. The program will initially focus on publishing the works of lesser known Russian authors starting in the 12th century and then work forward to the more well known giants of Russian literature. The series will feature newly translated works as well as licensed versions of acclaimed translations already in print. The series will also feature annotations by noted scholars as well as new introductions for each volume.
"We're looking for new ways to reach younger readers through screen technology,” Mayer said at the press conference. “Making these works available to the public in digital editons will make these works available forever.”
