Italians honour contemporary Russian author
Published 04 December, 2007, 12:28
One of Russia's most prominent writers, Mikhail Shishkin, has won the prestigious Italian literature award – the Grinzane Cavour.
The prize is given both to translators and to foreign authors writing about Italy. The award ceremony was held in Moscow.
Shishkin has had Russian as well as international acclaim for his works. His novel ‘Taking of Izmail’ won the Booker prize in 2000. Another book ‘Maidenhair’ also received wide critical acclaim. It was later hit by charges of plagiarism . Shishkin admitted using other’s texts for his book, but dismissed the charges against him, claiming he writes a new generation of literature.
Some of Shishkin’s books have been translated into Italian. The author was known as the Russian cultural ambassador to Italy.
Shishkin has lived in Switzerland since 1995. His rare appearances in Moscow are unusally to receive awards.
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