Shortlist "NOSA" announced. Predictable favorites and controversial candidates

KRASNOYARSK. The jury of the NOS Literary Prize announced the short list. Trends in the new literature in 2015.

The absence in the lists of nominees of non-handshake personalities is the main difference between NOS and other awards (their name is Legion) with more blurred moral criteria in terms of selection. And therefore, people who are not inclined to collective insights, allowing to see in black and white, while there is where to go. The obvious and unshakable constant is the high level of the proposed texts.

The concept of the award established in 2009 by the Mikhail Prokhorov Foundation remains unchanged: supporting worthy literary works written in Russian. The absence of clear criteria and other factors restricting the flight of fantasy leads to the appearance in the competition of diverse, experimental, innovative in terms of language, innovative works. Presenting to the public sound reasoning that encouraged the jury to make a final decision leaves no room for dubious hypotheses and speculation. One of the significant advantages of NOS is the lack of reverence for the masters, whose work may not even go long, as happened with Bitov and Yerofeyev.

One could witness the discussions about potential finalists and hear the short list announcement at the book fair organized by the Prokhorov Foundation in Krasnoyarsk - KRYAKK. The final round included: Danila Zaitsev, Guzel Yakhina, Polina Barskova, Alexander Ilyanen, Maria Golovanivskaya, Tatyana Bogatyreva, Nune Barsegyan (A. Nune). A heated debate was caused by the candidacy of Ilyanen, whose works, according to the majority of the jury members, hardly fit into the framework of the new literature. Only the uncompromising position of the chairman of the jury helped to defend him. Neither the anti-utopia of Maria Golovanivskaya, nor the story of Nuna about the hospice, nor the story of Barskova about the blockade of such disputes caused.

One of the main contenders for the victory is “Zuleikha opens her eyes” by Yakhnina. The story of a woman who suffered the horrors of collectivization, repression, the savage traditions that reigned in her husband’s family. The literary debut of a writer from Kazan is in great demand this year. Yakhnina has already won the main prize of Yasnaya Polyana, is on the short list of Russian Booker and Big Book. Despite the success of the work, the attitude to its artistic merits is ambiguous. The predictability of the plot lines, their insufficient multidimensionality prevent us from seeing in the book by Yakhnina the best work of this season, its unprecedented and clear advantage over other candidates.

Elena Tanakova © Gallerix.ru