In this month’s Reading Group we will discuss The Mountain and the Wall, the debut novel by Alisa Ganieva and the first Dagestani novel to be published in English, which tells the story of the decline of a society torn apart by its inherent extremes and the lives of people forced to choose between evils. This landmark work illuminates a culture little known by Western audiences and historically suppressed by the Soviet and Russian regimes. The meeting will be facilitated by our bookshop co-curator Sasha Padziarei and engagement curator Alisa Oleva.
A rumour spreads through Dagestan’s capital city, Makhachkala: the Russian government is building a wall to close off the Muslim Caucasian republics from the rest of the country. The novel focuses on Shamil, a young local reporter and his reactions to the unfolding events. Ethnic and religious tensions mount, and no one is spared from the catastrophic consequences. Shamil’s life is turned upside down as he can no longer afford to ignore the violence surrounding him. But like a vision in the midst of this nightmare, the image of a “Mountain of Celebrations” appears, a refuge for all those who are tired of political intolerance and religious violence.
2021 saw the opening of Pushkin House’s very own physical bookshop in addition to our online store. While it is still being honed and developed, we are keen to highlight literature that inspires, encourages, moves and validates our readers. We also want to amplify the voices, writers and readers that historically didn’t get and, perhaps, still don’t get the visibility, power and appreciation they deserve. Most of all, we want to create a physical (and an online) place for connection where people can come and share their views.