Russia's Bolshaya Kniga literary prize shortlist includes Simonyan novel added retroactively

Russia's prestigious Bolshaya Kniga literary award has announced its 2026 shortlist. The list notably includes a novel by Margarita Simonyan, the RT editor-in-chief, whose work was added to the longlist retroactively.

Russia's Bolshaya Kniga (Big Book) literary prize has published its shortlist of contenders for the 2026 award, drawing attention due to the inclusion of a novel by Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of state broadcaster RT.

Simonyan's novel had previously been added to the longlist after the initial announcement — a retroactive inclusion that sparked commentary in Russian literary and media circles. Despite the controversy surrounding its entry into the competition, the work has now advanced to the shortlist stage.

The Bolshaya Kniga prize is considered one of Russia's most prominent literary awards, typically recognizing works of serious literary merit. The inclusion of Simonyan — a high-profile propagandist and close ally of the Kremlin — has raised questions about the independence of the prize's selection process.

Simonyan is widely known in the West for her role leading RT, the Russian state-funded international television network, which has been sanctioned and banned from broadcasting in numerous countries including EU member states following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.