Belarusian publishers Nadia Kandrusevich, of Koska, and Dmitri Strotsev, of Hochroth Minsk, were jointly awarded the International Publishers Association’s 2025 Prix Voltaire at a ceremony at the World Expression Forum in Lillehammer, Norway, on June 2.
The two publishers, currently living in exile in Poland and Germany, respectively, were honored for “their commitment to publishing despite threats, harassment, and ultimately having to flee Belarus,” per the IPA. They are the second and third Belarusians to receive the prize, which comes with a purse of 10,000 Swiss Francs.
“This recognition affirms not only the importance of publishing and translating books for children but the belief in the quiet power of words to shape minds, to open hearts, and to build bridges across languages, cultures, and generations,” said Kandrusevich, who was unable to attend the ceremony in person, in a statement. “This award belongs to all the translators, publishers, and writers who keep working despite all circumstances.”
Strotsev, accepting his award in Belarusian, said: “In March 2022, I left for the West with one small suitcase. I was fleeing political persecution, but I was also preparing for a new mission—to use 30 years of publishing experience to create a free Belarusian publishing house in exile. Today, about thirty Belarusian publishing houses have re-emerged or restored their work in exile, and we are all closely connected. We have a publishing community.” He added: “This is important support for the Belarusian democratic resistance, this is an open invitation to Belarusian independent publishers to join the global publishing family.”
The Prix Voltaire is awarded each year to book publishing individuals, groups, or organizations who have published works “amid pressure, threats, intimidation or harassment, be it from governments, other authorities or private interests.” In Belarus, where publishers are required to obtain a license to publish and are often restricted from registering or denied licenses, the political climate for publishers has become more restrictive since 2020, when the Belarusian government “intensified its campaign of censoring publishers that promoted Belarusian identity, language, or history, or published texts in Belarusian,” per the IPA
Kristenn Einarsson, chair of the IPA’s Freedom to Publish Committee, said that the awards committee “received a worrying number of nominations this year. Their stories are sometimes unknown outside of their countries or regions, but their bravery is no less great. That our laureates must continue publishing in exile as a consequence of their commitment to the freedom to publish deserves our respect and recognition.”
