Marina Palei
Encyclopedia
Marina Anatolyevna Palei (in ; born 1 February 1955 in Leningrad
) is a Russia
n prose-writer, scriptwriter
, publicist
, novelist and translator.
. In 1978 she graduated from The St. Petersburg I. I. Mechnikov State Medical Academy
(SPSMA) and for some years worked as a doctor. In 1991 she graduated (cum laude) from Maxim Gorky Literature Institute
(in ). Since 1995 Palei has been residing in the Netherlands.
She started publishing literary critics in 1987. Her first work that saw the light was a short story "Composition on Red and Blue". The story was printed in "Sobesednik" (weekly supplement to "Komsomolskaya Pravda
") in 1989. However, it was the novella "Evgesha and Annushka" ("Znamya
" 1990) that made her famous. In 1991 "Novy Mir
" magazine published an even more thrilling novella "Cabiria from the Obvodnyi Channel". Palei's first book "Ward of Lost Souls" (in other translations "Department of the Lost") was published in the same year.
In 1995 at the Story International Festival in Rotterdam
Palei received the title Russische Stijlprinses (Russian princess of literary stile).
Palei's second book "Wind-Field" was published in 1998 in "Master" series. This book concluded the "Russian" period in her literature.
This book was succeeded by the following works: "Long Distance, ili Slavyanskyi Akcent" ("Long Distance or the Slavic Accent") - 2000, Vagrius, the novels "The Lunch" (2000, Inapress) and "Klemens" (2007, Vremya).
Palei's prose is translated to: English, German, French, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Italian, Dutch, Slovakian, Slovenian, Estonian, Latvian, and Japanese languages.
Palei's many activities also include translations. She translated Italian, Dutch, Greek, English and Slovenian poetry and Flemish prose.
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
) is a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n prose-writer, scriptwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, publicist
Publicist
A publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a public figure, especially a celebrity, a business, or for a work such as a book, film or album...
, novelist and translator.
Life and work
Palei was born in Leningrad, or, as she prefers to put it, in IngriaIngria
Ingria is a historical region in the eastern Baltic, now part of Russia, comprising the southern bank of the river Neva, between the Gulf of Finland, the Narva River, Lake Peipus in the west, and Lake Ladoga and the western bank of the Volkhov river in the east...
. In 1978 she graduated from The St. Petersburg I. I. Mechnikov State Medical Academy
Saint Petersburg State Medical Academy
The St. Petersburg I. I. Mechnikov State Medical Academy is a public university located in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation. The SPSMA is one of the oldest and largest Russian Higher Medical Schools. Over its 100 years of history, the Academy remains a leading institution of Russia in medicine...
(SPSMA) and for some years worked as a doctor. In 1991 she graduated (cum laude) from Maxim Gorky Literature Institute
Maxim Gorky Literature Institute
The Maxim Gorky Literature Institute is a higher education institute in Moscow. It is located at 25 Tver Bulvar in Central Moscow.It was founded in 1933 on the initiative of Maxim Gorky, and received its current name at Gorky's death in 1936....
(in ). Since 1995 Palei has been residing in the Netherlands.
She started publishing literary critics in 1987. Her first work that saw the light was a short story "Composition on Red and Blue". The story was printed in "Sobesednik" (weekly supplement to "Komsomolskaya Pravda
Komsomolskaya Pravda
Komsomolskaya Pravda is a daily Russian tabloid newspaper, founded on March 13th, 1925. It is published by "Izdatelsky Dom Komsomolskaya Pravda" .- History :...
") in 1989. However, it was the novella "Evgesha and Annushka" ("Znamya
Znamya
Znamya is a Russian monthly magazine, which was established in Moscow in 1931. In 1931-1932, the magazine was published under the name of Lokaf...
" 1990) that made her famous. In 1991 "Novy Mir
Novy Mir
Novy Mir is a Russian language literary magazine that has been published in Moscow since January 1925. It was supposed to be modelled on the popular pre-Soviet literary magazine Mir Bozhy , which was published from 1892 to 1906, and its follow-up, Sovremenny Mir , which was published 1906-1917...
" magazine published an even more thrilling novella "Cabiria from the Obvodnyi Channel". Palei's first book "Ward of Lost Souls" (in other translations "Department of the Lost") was published in the same year.
In 1995 at the Story International Festival in Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
Palei received the title Russische Stijlprinses (Russian princess of literary stile).
Palei's second book "Wind-Field" was published in 1998 in "Master" series. This book concluded the "Russian" period in her literature.
This book was succeeded by the following works: "Long Distance, ili Slavyanskyi Akcent" ("Long Distance or the Slavic Accent") - 2000, Vagrius, the novels "The Lunch" (2000, Inapress) and "Klemens" (2007, Vremya).
Palei's prose is translated to: English, German, French, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Italian, Dutch, Slovakian, Slovenian, Estonian, Latvian, and Japanese languages.
Palei's many activities also include translations. She translated Italian, Dutch, Greek, English and Slovenian poetry and Flemish prose.
Membership in organizations
- International PEN-Club
- Vereniging van Schrijvers en Vertalers (VSenV) – Dutch Association of Writers and Translators
- Union of the Russian Writers
Longlist
"Tribute to Salamander" novel - the Big Book Prize 2009Shortlist
- "The Lunch" novel - Smirnoff-Booker Prize 2000
- "The Farm" novella - I.P. Belkin Prize 2005 (Novella of the Year Prize)
- "Klemens" novel - The Big Book Prize 2006
- "Raya & Aad" novella - I.P. Belkin Prize 2009
Books
- "Ward of Lost Souls" (in other translations: "Department of the Lost"; "The Bloody Women's Ward"; "The Losers' Division")
- "Wind-Field"
- "Long Distance or the Slavic Accent"
- "The Lunch"
- "Klemens"
Books
- "Die Cabiria vom Umleitungskanal" (Rowohlt, 1992). Germany
- "Herinnerd huis" (Pegasus, 1995). The Netherlands
- "Ringkanali Cabiria" ( Perioodika, 1995). Estonia
- "Cabiria di Pietroburgo" (Il Saggiatore, 1996). Italy
- "Rückwärtsgang der Sonne" (Droschl, 1997). Austria
- "Inmitten von fremden Ernten" (Kitab, 2010). Austria
Anthologies
- The anthology “Kali for Women” - a short story: The Bloody Women's Ward - Conscience Deluded, Deli, India, 1994 (in English)
- The anthology “Lives in Transit”- a short stories: Rendezvous; The Losers' Division - ArdisArdis PublishingArdis Publishing began in 1971, as the only publishing house outside of Russia dedicated to Russian literature in both English and Russian, Ardis was founded in Ann Arbor, Michigan by husband and wife scholars Carl R. Proffer and Ellendea C. Proffer...
, US, 1995 (in English) - Almanac “Glas” (New Russian Writing) – a short story: The Bloody Women's Ward - 3, US, UK, Russia, 1995 (in English)
- The anthology “Present Imperfect” – a fragment: Cabiria from the Bypass - Westview PressWestview PressWestview Press is an American publishing house. It publishes textbooks and scholarly works for an academic audience.Westview was founded in 1975 in Boulder, Colorado by Fred Praeger. The press was sold in 1991 to SCS Communications. HarperCollins acquired the company in 1995. Since 1998, it has...
, Colorado (US ), Oxford (UK), 1996 (in English) - Тhe anthology “Puhu, Maria!” - a novel Cabiria Kanavanrannan - TammiTammi (publishing company)Tammi is a Finnish publishing company established in 1943 by an initiative of Väinö Tanner, leader of the Social Democratic Party of Finland. In 1996, the company was bought by the Bonnier Group, and it is currently the third largest book publisher in Finland....
, Helsinki, 1997 (in Finnish) - The anthology “Russian Women Writing” - a short story Skazki Andersena - ShinchoshaShinchoshais a publisher founded in 1896 in Japan and headquartered in Yaraichō, Shinjuku, Tokyo. Shinchosha is one of the sponsors of the Japan Fantasy Novel Award.-Monthly:* ENGINE* Foresight* nicola*Shinchō-External links:*...
, Tokyo, Japan, 1998 (in Japanese). - Тhe anthology “Poetik der Grenze”: “Der Aus: -gang, weg”(Еssay) - Steirische Verlagsgesellschaft, Graz, Austria, 2003 (in German)
- Тhe anthology “Graz von Aussen”: “Graz: Ein unterhaltsames Hologramm"(Еssay) - Droschl, Graz, Austria 2003 (in German)
- Тhe anthology “Immerhin ein Ausweg”: “Der Tag des Pappelflaums” (Erzählung) - Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, München, Germany, 2003 (in Russian and German)
- The anthology "Russisk samtidslitteratur": "Fra Long distance, eller slavisk aksent" (Script-Novella) - NORAHL & EFTF, Norway, 2007 (in Norwegian)
- The anthology "Halbwegs zum Himmel" (Essay) - Leykam, Graz, Austria, 2007 (in German)
External links
- Official website
- http://magazines.russ.ru/novyi_mi/redkol/paley/paley.htmlMarina Palei's page on Novy MirNovy MirNovy Mir is a Russian language literary magazine that has been published in Moscow since January 1925. It was supposed to be modelled on the popular pre-Soviet literary magazine Mir Bozhy , which was published from 1892 to 1906, and its follow-up, Sovremenny Mir , which was published 1906-1917...
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