The Time of Women, by Elena Chizhova is out in English

Read Tetradki review of the book here.

Glagoslav Publications have sent me a copy of the The Time of Women by Elena Chizhova, the winner of the Russian Booker Prize 2009.

The novel, in its Russian-language version, has been widely reviewed by English language publications. Now it comes out in an English translation by Simon Patterson with Nina Chordas. 

The plot revolves around the fortunes of four Russian women living in a communal flat in Leningrad in the early 1960s. They are plotting to save a young girl from being taken to the orphanage and to raise her themselves.  

The novel is written in the first person, different characters lead the narrative in colloquial language with numerous references to folklore, religion, Soviet bureaucratic jargon and literature. Which makes it quite a challenge for translators. 

Chizhova

Elena Chizhova was born in Leningrad in 1957. She had worked as an economist, teacher, and entrepreneur until a rescue from a burning cruise ship in 1996 inspired her to turn to writing. She now has several successful titles to her name.

Tetradki has published a review of the English-language version of the novel.  

The book can be bought through Glagoslav's The Time of Women web-page.  

In this video Elena Chizhova is at a rehearsal of the stage version of The Time of Women at Moscow's Sovremennik theatre.

   

Glagoslav Publications is an English-Dutch publishing company specializing in contemporary Russian, Ukrainian and Belorussian fiction (www.glagoslav.com in English, Dutch and Russian).