Boris Akunin wins the Freedom to Publish Award
14th May, 2024
Congratulations are in order for ANA author Boris Akunin, who was awarded the Freedom to Publish Award at last night’s British Book Awards.
The Freedom to Publish Award was established in 2022 at The British Book Awards to highlight the growing threats to writers, publishers and booksellers, and to amplify those who fight back. Boris Akunin is one of Russia’s most widely read novelists, yet he is unable to return to his home country due to his long-standing criticism of President Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine. He is the first author to have his books banned in Russia since the Soviet era.
Presented by Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and supported by Index on Censorship, Akunin becomes the third recipient of the prize after Salman Rushie in 2023 and Arabella Pike in 2022.
