The book talks programme is curated by the team of the Pushkin House Bookshop, the UK’s first bilingual English-Russian bookshop. 

Featuring events in English and Russian, the programme ranges from intimate literary gatherings with poets and translators, to dialogues with world-leading writers and acclaimed academics. These events reflect the broad curation of the bookshop, platforming a range of voices who explore literature, history, politics, culture, food, anthropology and more, from Russia, Eastern Europe and beyond. The programme is open and accessible to all: no particular knowledge of the books or topics is necessary, and there is a designated space for audience questions in every talk.

Books are a portal to understand the world around us. Whether it’s a journalistic exposé, academic research or fiction, books tell stories that help us make sense of the past, document the present and envisage the future. Our aim is to provide access to a space of expert research, literary exploration and critical inquiry, and bring people together over their shared interests. The book talks programme is driven by our belief in books as a universal language connecting different generations, views, backgrounds, and even speakers of different languages, and the importance of storytelling in all its forms, especially during times of crisis and conflict.