BOP2020 - Samokat Publishing House, Russia

Independent children’s books publisher in Russia since 2003 and intellectual leader of the Russian children’s book market with 400 titles in its list, Samokat publishes award winners and long-seller authors from all over the world. From its very first books Samokat has been speaking openly to readers of all ages by breaking stereotypes, highlighting the most up-to-date social problems, respecting human values and protecting children’s rights. As a pioneer in Russian children’s books publishing, Irina Balakhonova, Samokat’s founder and editor-in-chief, has been awarded the Jeri Laber International Freedom to Publish Award from Association of American Publishers.

Open-minded and committed to its readers, Samokat focuses on promotion of reading and plays a key role in the process of renovation of the children’s literature in Russia. Its publishing policy is based on the highest literature standards and modern world trends. To create new opportunities, vocations and processes of working together, one of its original initiatives is «The Book Inside», an international contest of book projects for illustrators from all over the world. Samokat’s rights catalogue raises much interest among foreign partners, the number of its deals is increasing every year, today its titles are translated into seventeen foreign languages.  

Samokat’s Russian authors and illustrators are often nominated and awarded with prestigious Russian and international prizes such as The Biennial of Illustration Bratislava, «The White Ravens» catalogue, The UK BookTrust’s In Other Words prize, «Kniguru» - the Russian annual award for the best teen fiction.

In 2019 the list of sixteen Russian projects selected for the exhibition of 1001 Outstanding International Books (MIBF and Bologna Book Fair, Moscow) included five Samokat’s titles; two of them were selected for the dPICTUS 100 Outstanding Picturebooks exhibition at the Frankfurt book fair.