Memoirs of Vladimir Putin’s number one opponent, Alexei Navalny, who died in prison in Russia in circumstances that remained opaque on February 16, will be published on October 22, 2024, the American publisher Knopf announced Thursday in a press release.
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“This book bears witness not only to Alexei’s life, but also to his unwavering commitment to the fight against dictatorship, a fight for which he gave everything, including his own life,” his widow, Yulia, said in the press release. Navalnaïa, about this book of which a version in Russian is planned according to the publisher.
According to Knopf, Mr. Navalny, who died at 47, began writing “Patriot” (the title of the book in English) shortly after his poisoning in 2020. The memoir contains “unpublished correspondence” from his prison, a colony penitentiary reputed to be among the most grueling in the Russian Arctic, adds the editor.
“Written with the passion, wit, candor and courage that earned him the acclaim he deserved, Patriot is Navalny’s final letter to the world: a moving account of the final years he spent in the most brutal prison in the world, a reminder of why the principles of individual liberty are so important, and a vibrant call for freedom,” adds Knopf.
Rights have already been sold worldwide and the publisher plans to print 500,000 copies initially.