It is a literary innovation that will delight London's influx of Russians –
and intrigue the intelligence services. Waterstones will open a Russian-language
"bookshop" within its flagship Piccadilly store next month.
Russian-speaking assistants will be recruited for the shop, which is the
personal passion of Alexander Mamut, the Russian billionaire whose A&NN
Group bought the high-street bookseller last year in a £53m deal.
Mr Mamut, who says he enjoys reading high-quality literature in Russian and English, has named the new store "Slova", Russian for "words". It will be housed on the ground floor mezzanine level of the Piccadilly branch and contain almost 5,000 titles.
Slova is expected to become a meeting point for the more literary-minded
Russians in the capital. As well as stocking the classics of Russian literature
– Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Chekhov – it will showcase commercial writers such as
Boris Akunin and Polina Dashkova, Russia's most successful crime author, who has
sold 40 million books. The move is the next stage in Mr Mamut's plan to
revitalise Waterstones under James Daunt, its new managing director, by serving
local communities.Mr Daunt told The Bookseller magazine: "For Russophiles and the large, vibrant
Russian community in London, we aim to make Slova an irresistible literary and
cultural destination. One won't be surprised at the source of the idea, given
Waterstones' ownership."
Full story at The Independent.
Mr Mamut, who says he enjoys reading high-quality literature in Russian and English, has named the new store "Slova", Russian for "words". It will be housed on the ground floor mezzanine level of the Piccadilly branch and contain almost 5,000 titles.
Slova is expected to become a meeting point for the more literary-minded
Russians in the capital. As well as stocking the classics of Russian literature
– Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Chekhov – it will showcase commercial writers such as
Boris Akunin and Polina Dashkova, Russia's most successful crime author, who has
sold 40 million books. The move is the next stage in Mr Mamut's plan to
revitalise Waterstones under James Daunt, its new managing director, by serving
local communities.Mr Daunt told The Bookseller magazine: "For Russophiles and the large, vibrant
Russian community in London, we aim to make Slova an irresistible literary and
cultural destination. One won't be surprised at the source of the idea, given
Waterstones' ownership."Full story at The Independent.
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