Longlisted for the Klaus Flugge Prize 2022 | A PEN Translates award winner for 2021
Beautifully adapted in rhyme by Sian Valvis, and with evocative new illustrations by Dovile Ciapaite, Kolobok offers English-speaking young readers a glimpse into the magic and mysticism of Russian folklore. The visceral and environmental elements that are present in Russian folktales bring to life a vivid sense of the nation's culture and identity.
Kolobok is a new adaptation and translation of a famous Russian folktale about a resourceful bun (a kolobok) who, as in the tale of the gingerbread man beloved of children in the West, skilfully evades the attentions of various animals.
Sian Valvis took part in the National Centre for Writing 'Mentorship for Emerging Literary Translators' (October 2019-March 2020), supported by the Russian Institute for Literary Translation. She has been mentored by the translator Robert Chandler, who has encouraged her affinity for translating children's literatures and in particular folktales. Dovile Ciapaite is a Lithuanian illustrator and architectural designer based in London. She loves drawing characters, creating narratives that tell stories through boldly illustrated forms that combine both traditional mark-making and industrial printing techniques.
