Vladimir Putin Book Club Stirs Suspicions of Literary Censorship

Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, has started a book club in the same vein as Oprah and Mark Zuckerberg, which has Russian booksellers suspicious that there are strings attached, according to Flavorwire.

According to Dmitry Livanov, the Russian Ministry of Science and Education’s head, there is a catch: The president’s goal is to “increase sales of high-quality literature, as well as books on culture, art, history, and education” by offering rent and tax breaks to Russian bookstores, with the stipulation that the government chooses which titles the bookstores can and can’t sell. That is, bookstores must sell titles the government deems to have “historical value” or that “can contribute to patriotic education of local population.”

Rather coincidentally, Putin’s move comes at a critical point for many booksellers, who are shutting down across Russia because of increasing rent prices; at the same time, the nation is paradoxically having a “Year of Literature” celebration.

Will Putin’s list of required reading include Hemingway titles? (Putin said in a rare interview with Outdoor Life that Hemingway’s books “shaped my inner self and nourished my love for the outdoors.”) In any case, Flavorwire contributor Jonathon Sturgeon is sure Putin’s “ ‘tough guy’ persona” will influence his recommendations.