Z literature may not be especially appealing, but it’s harmless.” Books about the “SMO” turned out to be of little interest to either publishers or readers

“Z literature may not be especially appealing, but it’s harmless.” Books about the “SMO” turned out to be of little interest to either publishers or readers

“Verstka” studied 259 books about the war published in Russia. Most of them were written by men; among the authors there are only 31 women. Only 44 books were written by direct participants in the war in Ukraine.

Among those writing about the “special operation” are former “militiamen” from the occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions, mobilized men and volunteers, war correspondents, and even clergy and bodywork therapists.

“Verstka” spoke with one of the authors writing about the war in Ukraine: her book of poems was published by an independent Russian publisher. Irina (name changed) believes that only half of the works about the war have any “life force.”

Representatives of the Russian book industry told “Verstka” that successful star authors do not write Z literature. The only example of a writer who sells well remains Zakhar Prilepin, but he was popular even before the war began.

Literary critic Galina Yuzefovich adds that although Z literature is not among the top sellers, it does have its own audience, “comparatively small, but quite active and loyal” — “to say that nobody at all needs it would be wrong”:

“Right now, in books there is a very strong fatigue with relevance, current affairs, and confessional writing. There is a demand for escapism, plot, and a certain old-fashioned quality. Z literature fits none of these criteria.”

Read about what is being published in the Z-literature segment, how it is being published, and who needs it on the “Verstka” website (with VPN):

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Verstka

“It’s hard to fool the reader.” Who in Russia writes and reads books about the war in Ukraine

Since the start of the war, Russian publishers have released hundreds of books about the “SMO”