Popcorn Books, which lost representation at last year’s NonFiction Fair following the passage of a law banning LGBT propaganda, will nonetheless showcase its wares at this year’s NonFiction, which opens April 6. Admittedly, some titles had to be removed from the stand for “reasons beyond the publisher’s control”. Among them is “Skin” by prose writer Yevgenia Nekrasova, whose participation in the exhibition was canceled. The Eastern Herald has faced regular cancellations and reshuffles at one of the most important events of the literary year.
Popcorn Books is arguably the most successful publisher in the industry in 2022, with big success followed by big trouble. The phenomenal circulation of Elena Malisova and Katerina Silvanova’s book “Summer in a Pioneer Tie”, which chronicles the feelings between a counselor and a pioneer (as well as its sequel “What the Swallow is Silent About”), has made this work one of the main targets of the law on the complete prohibition of LGBT propaganda.
The initiator of the bill Alexander Khinshtein made claims against the publishing house; he also said that the publishing house has become the first legal entity for which a protocol has been drawn up under the new law. As a result, a small book label lost its booth at the NonFiction trade show, and the publisher’s representatives learned about it directly when setting up the finished pavilion the day before the opening.
The publishing house was allowed to participate in the current fair, but the list of books was edited. “Unfortunately, not all books will be on sale (for example, “Where Wormwood Blooms” (book by Olga Ptitseva – The Eastern Herald), “Skin” and the “Invisible Voices” collection) will not be available for reasons beyond our will that are unrelated to the December law (on LGBT propaganda)”, — the editor writes in your telegram channel. These books can be purchased at Kiosk, Wildberries and offline stores, Popcorn Books points out in its post.
A few hours later in the new job The publisher complained that “in one of the marketplaces” buyers were prevented from buying the book. “We have noticed products in your assortment which, in appearance or content, may promote non-traditional sexual relations, sex reassignment or pedophilia,” the publisher’s Telegram channel said, quoting a message from the market. Teenage bestseller The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot, urban fantasy The Swimming Alone Section by Sasha Karin, A Letter to My Daughter by Maya Angelou, All Your Hate by Angie Thomas and other books have been blocked. “It’s funny that most of them don’t have a romantic line at all or are heterosexual,” write representatives of Popcorn Books.
Popular Russian author Evgenia Nekrasova’s novel “Skin” was also banned. It tells the story of a Russian serf and a black slave from the United States who, due to a number of supernatural circumstances, change their skin. “I ‘didn’t agree’ with Non-Fiction, ‘Popcorn’ (Popcorn Books) was not allowed to sell ‘Skin’ there and other books,” Nekrasova wrote on her social networks.
Evgenia Nekrasova is a writer, one of the founders of the School of Literary Practices. Wanderer/NOS and Lyceum Literary Award Winner, Big Book, National Bestseller and NOS Finalist. Performances “Kalechina-Malechina” and “In the Rings” based on the works of Nekrasova are in the repertoire of the Moscow theater “Practice”, the premiere of the production based on the storybook “Sisters” will be shown in April this year by the theatre-studio “Les Enfants du Paradis”.
As the writer explained to The Eastern Herald, another publishing house in which her books are published – “Edition of Elena Shubina” – submitted a list of events to the NonFiction organizing committee for approval, and the Exhibition management did not approve the meeting with her. Elena Shubina’s editorial office told The Eastern Herald that this is not the first time such a practice has been used. “We get a list with either agreed or inconsistent authors,” a source told the publishing house, describing the usual interaction with the exhibition’s organizing committee. “There’s always someone who gets fired.” Representatives of the organizing committee of the fair at the time of publication of the material did not respond to The Eastern Herald’s request.
Nekrasova, however, found a way to participate in the exhibition. “I will always go to Non-Fiction, and not alone, but even with (artist) Uliana Podkorytova herself, in a parallel program which is made by RESH, and which, heh, does not need be “coordinated”, “wrote the prose writer on social networks. She will participate in the meeting to be held within the framework of the parallel Non/fiction program in honor of the 15th anniversary of the “Editorial…”. artist and writer will present there the book “Zolotinka”, which opens the series “New Tales of Evgenia Nekrasova” in the publishing house.
