The book “Red Scarf Summer” is released in Brazil by Editora Seguinte, a label of Companhia das Letras. The Russian novel, which revolves around a homosexual couple who fall in love in the Soviet Union, was a hit on TikTok and was banned in Russia for being considered “LGBT propaganda”.
The book written by Katerina Silvanova It is Elena Malissova tells the story of Iura who, 20 years later, remembers his last summer at Camp Andorinha, when he met Volódia, a straight-laced boy with whom he falls in love and with whom he experiences his first love.
Upon returning to the camp as an adult and finding only ruins, Iura decides to look for any clues that might help him find Volodia.
The plot tells about the changes that occur during youth and the love between two young people, while portraying the final years of the Soviet Union.
Censored in Russia and loved by booktok
After being released in Russia in 2022, the book became one of the most read in the country, but it also received a wave of hate. Anti-LGBTQIA+ activists and politicians launched a campaign to have the novel banned in the country.
Critics claimed the work “disfigured the idea of what the Soviet Union was,” “promoted Western values,” and contained “LGBT propaganda.”
After starting to receive threats, authors Katerina Silvanova and Elena Malíssova decided to leave the country.
At the same time, the Russian Parliament was already drafting stricter legislation that aimed to criminalize any LGBT representation in media of all kinds, including books and films.
The legislation was passed on December 5, and banned “Red Scarf Summer” and all books that could be considered LGBTQIA+ literature from the country.
This is how Silvanova and Malíssova’s book became a symbol of resistance for the LGBT community and was embraced by booktok — a TikTok segment that makes videos about literature.
- Title: “Red Scarf Summer”
- Price: R$ 79.90 (printed) – R$ 39.90 (digital)
- Authors: Katerina Silvanova and Elena Malissova
- Publishing company: Seguinte Publishing House (Companhia das Letras)
- Number of pages: 464
- Year of publication in Brazil: 2024
Source: CNN Brasil
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