The Book Show

In Russia, poets are like rock stars and during the Stalinist era purges they represented the voice of the people. This was a heavy burden. Many poets went into exile, but not Anna Akhmatova. She stayed, was denounced and kept writing as fellow poets were executed. Anna Akhmatova was born into Tsarist Russia in 1889. Her first book Evening was published before World War I. She lived through the October Revolution, the civil war, Stalin, the terror years, World War II and the relative thaw of Khrushchev. She died in 1966, a national hero.

A session celebrating her life and poetry was held at the Melbourne Writers Festival with historian of Russia, Orlando Figes in conversation with poet and theatre critic, Alison Crogon. The event is moderated by Ellen Koshland.

Guests

Alison Croggon
Poet, theatre critic and fanasty fiction writer.

Orlando Figes
Russia history specialist, Professor of History at Birkbeck College.

Ellen Koshland
Akhmatova enthusiast and the founder and president of the Education Foundation.

Publications

Title: Selected Poems
Author: Anna Akhmatova, translated by D. M. Thomas
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN-13 9780140424645

Title: Natasha's Dance: A Cultural History of Russia
Author: Orlando Figes
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN-13 9780 1402 9796 6

Title: Whisperers: Private Life in Stalin's Russia
Author: Orlando Figes
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN-13 9780 7139 9702 6

Title: Theatre
Author: Alison Croggon
Publisher: Salt Publishing

Presenter

Ramona Koval

Producer

Sarah L'Estrange

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