Mikhail Shishkin (writer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mikhail Shishkin
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Cafe Odeon in Zürich 2010 © Evgeniya Frolkova
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| Born | 18 January 1961 Moscow, Russian SFSR |
| Occupation | writer |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Citizenship | Russia, Switzerland |
| Genre | Fiction, non-fiction |
| Notable awards | Russian Booker Prize (2000), Russian National Bestseller Award (2005) and Big Book Prize (2006, 2010) |
Mikhail Shishkin (born on January 18, 1961) is a famous writer from Russia and Switzerland. He is known for winning three major Russian literary awards: the Russian Booker Prize in 2000, the Russian National Bestseller Award in 2005, and the Big Book Prize in 2010. His books have been translated into 30 different languages, and he also writes in German.
Contents
About Mikhail Shishkin's Life
Mikhail Shishkin was born in Moscow, Russia, on January 18, 1961. His mother was a literature teacher, and his father was an engineer. He finished high school in the center of Moscow in 1977.
After studying German and English at Moscow State Pedagogical Institute, Mikhail Shishkin worked many different jobs. He was a road worker, a street sweeper, a journalist, a school teacher, and a translator.
In 1995, he moved to Switzerland to be with his family. There, he worked for the Immigration Department, helping refugees as a translator. He is now also a citizen of Switzerland.
Mikhail Shishkin has been a guest professor at Washington and Lee University in the United States. Since 2011, he has lived with his family in a small village near Basel, Switzerland. He often gives talks at universities and cultural events in Europe and the United States. He also appears on TV and radio shows in many countries.
He has written articles for well-known newspapers like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Guardian.
Mikhail Shishkin's Writing Career
Mikhail Shishkin's first novel, One Night Befalls Us All, was published in 1993. It was later called Larionov's Reminiscences. This book quickly caught the attention of critics, and he won an award for the best new writer of the year.
In 1999, his novel The Taking of Izmail was published. This book was a big success and won the Russian Booker Prize in 2000. Critics said it was a very important book for Russian literature.
Moving to a new country inspired him to write Russian Switzerland. This book is a non-fiction guide about Russian history in Switzerland. It was published in 1999 and later translated into German and French. It even won an award from the Canton of Zürich.
In 2002, he released a book written in German called Montreux-Missolunghi-Astapowo. This book was a literary journey and also received a literary award from Zürich.
His novel Maidenhair came out in 2005. It won the National Bestseller award in 2005 and the Big Book Award in 2006. Critics praised Maidenhair for its beautiful language and how it showed that stories can create a reality more amazing than the real world. The English translation of Maidenhair was also highly praised by critics.
In 2010, his novel Pismovnik (also known as The Light and the Dark in English) was published. This book won him the main Big Book Prize in 2011, and readers also chose it as their favorite.
The Light and the Dark was published in English in 2013. Reviewers loved it, calling it a "bewitching potion of reality and fantasy." They said it showed that great Russian literature is still being written.
In 2015, a collection of his short stories called Calligraphy Lesson was released. This book was seen as a great way for new readers to discover his work. The stories were described as "empathetic tales" that explored universal problems.
Mikhail Shishkin's translated works have won many international awards. These include the Grinzane Cavour Prize in Italy for Maidenhair in 2007, and the Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger in France in 2005. His German translation of Maidenhair also won the International Literature Award in Berlin in 2011.
When asked about his awards, Shishkin said, "No award has ever made a book better." He believes his success shows that he was right to stick to his own writing style.
In 2019, Shishkin released a digital book called Dead Souls, living Noses. An Introduction into the Russian Culture History. This book is a collection of essays with pictures, music, and videos. It was praised as a new step in how books can be presented.
All of Mikhail Shishkin's novels have been turned into plays in Russia.
Mikhail Shishkin's Writing Style
People often praise Mikhail Shishkin's writing for being clear and precise. He says that other famous Russian writers have influenced him:
- From Ivan Bunin, he learned to believe in himself and not to give up.
- From Anton Chekhov, he learned to show humanity in his characters, meaning no character is completely bad.
- From Leo Tolstoy, he learned not to be afraid to be simple or innocent in his writing.
Shishkin compares writing to a blood transfusion. He feels he is sharing the most important parts of life with his readers, and they need to be on the same wavelength to understand it.
Mikhail Shishkin's Views on Politics
Mikhail Shishkin has openly spoken out against the Russian government. He has criticized its policies, including the events in Crimea in 2014.
In 2013, he decided not to represent Russia at a book fair in the United States. He explained that he wanted to represent a different Russia, one that is free and fair, where people's rights are protected.
He also spoke against the events in Ukraine in 2022. He wrote that he felt these actions were being done in the name of his people and country. Because of his views, the Russian Ministry of Justice labeled him a "foreign agent" in March 2025.
Awards and Recognitions
- 1993: Prize for the Best Debut of the Year
- 2000: Russian Booker Prize for The Taking of Izmail
- 2005: Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger (Essay)
- 2006: Big Book Award for Maidenhair
- 2006: National Bestseller Literary Prize for Maidenhair
- 2007: Grinzane Cavour Prize for Capelvenere (Italian translation of Maidenhair)
- 2011: Big Book Award for Pismovnik
- 2011: International Literature Award for Maidenhair (German translation)
- 2013: Shortlisted for the Best Translated Book Award for Maidenhair
- 2022: Premio Strega Europeo in Italy for Pismownik (Italian translation of The Light and the Dark)
See also
In Spanish: Mijaíl Shishkin para niños
