Rise Up and Read During Banned Books Week

This week is the annual Banned Books Week, a time to celebrate the bravery of writers who  face threats and suppression for putting their ideas to the page. At Restless Books, we seek out voices that are silenced and ignite discourse. In today’s political environment, with its amped-up rhetoric of fear, hatred, and distrust of people and viewpoints that are “other,” the project of listening to what oppressed voices have to say has become critical. This week we pay our respects to writers who have faced jail time and violence in order to speak their truths.

Fardwor, Russia! A Fantastical Tale of Life Under Putin and The Underground are illuminating works by two such writers. Oleg Kashin was beaten nearly to death just two days after he submitted his manuscript for Fardwor, Russia! for his political commentary and articles speaking out against Putin. Hamid Ismailov, author of The Underground, was forced to flee Uzbekistan because of his writing; his work is still banned there today.

We’re not the only ones committed to supporting such writers—some of  our pals and peers at other great indie publishers been putting out notable suppressed works: The Year of the Comet by Sergei Lebedev (published by New Vessel Press), The Accusation by Bandi (published by Grove Press), Home by Leila S. Chudori (published by Deep Vellum Press), Maidenhair by Mikhail Shishkin (published by Open Letter), Diaries of Exile by Yannis Ritsos (published by Archipelago Books), and Country of Ash by Edward Reicher (published by Bellevue Literary Press).  

It is our responsibility, as the beneficiaries of their words, to promote their works so that they do not fall into obscurity or disappear, and to celebrate their ability to inspire people to action against oppressive regimes that are afraid of the power of the written word.

Submissions Open for the Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing - Fiction

We've opened submissions for the 2018 Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing at a critical time for immigrants: just as news breaks that DACA will end unless Congress acts to prolong it. The Prize is, primarily, a celebration of the many ways in which immigrants enrich our culture. Some of the most vivid literature of recent years can be attributed to immigrant authors, whose deft voices expertly bridge cultural gaps and tear down linguistic barriers. This year's Prize is also a testament to the countless Americans whose lives are deeply enmeshed in the fabric of our society and who are being subjected to the threat of deportation. 

Now in its third year, the Prize for New Immigrant Writing is expanding to include first-generation immigrants from around the world. All who meet the eligibility requirements are encouraged to apply. Restless will publish an outstanding debut work of fiction and award its author $10,000, as we did with our inaugural winner, Deepak Unnikrishnan's Temporary People.

As Restless publisher Ilan Stavans writes in his introduction to the prize, “immigrants have shown us what resilience and dedication we’re capable of, and have expanded our sense of what it means to be global citizens. In these times of intense xenophobia, it is more important than ever that these boundary-crossing stories reach the broadest possible audience”. This year we could not be more proud to affirm our commitment to immigrant literature. We can’t wait to read and share what the new voices of the world have to say!

More about Past Winners of the Immigrant Writing Prize

The 2017 Immigrant Writing Prize for Nonfiction has been awarded to Grace Talusan for her memoir, The Body Papers, a brave, artful memoir about trauma, illness, and immigration as told through personal and official documentation. The judges praised her writing, stating that “ She tackles with literary subtlety and a deep reservoir of compassion the paradoxes imposed by being the 'perfect immigrant'—but also an 'illegal' one." The book is scheduled to be published in the Fall of 2018. Read More.

The 2016 Immigrant Writing Prize for Fiction went to Deepak Unnikrishnan for his novel Temporary People, a book of linked stories about the migrant workers of the United Arab Emirates that the judges call "a brave, stylistically inventive book that presents a frightening, surreal world that’s all too true to life." The book has garnered over 75 reviews, including from The New Yorker, The Economist, The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, and many more.