Russian literature lovers in London have something to celebrate. Britain’s largest bookseller, Waterstones, has opened a Russian-language bookstore within its flagship store in London’s Piccadilly.
The Russian Bookshop boasts some 5,000 Russian language titles, from fiction to history and from poetry to fairytales, as well as a number of Russian books in translation. London’s 100,000-strong Russian-speaking community is set to be well catered-for.
The selection of books being imported from Russia to the British capital will be refreshed every fortnight, so new titles will appear in the Piccadilly store at the same time as in Russia.
On top of this, there are Russian-speaking sales assistants on hand at the bookshop, which boasts a floorspace of 1,200 sq ft and offers a rich selection of the cream of the crop of Russian literature.
“This feels like the perfect time to be opening The Russian Bookshop in London, and we have been overwhelmed by the interest shown by Russian cultural enthusiasts and the Russian population across the UK,” managing director James Daunt was quoted as saying.
In 2011, Waterstones was bought by Russian billionaire Aleksandr Mamut’s ANN Group in a deal worth £53 million.
The businessman also has a stake in Russia’s Azbuka-Atticus publishing group, whose titles will be on offer in The Russian Bookshop along with books from leading Russian writers in their original language and in English translation.