Freedom Letters publishing house, which publishes literature in Russian and Ukrainian, and its founder Giorgi Urushadze have been awarded the Freedom to Publish prize established by the Association of American Publishers. The relevant information is posted on the organization's official website.
The association's CEO and president, Maria Pallante, noted: "Giorgi Urushadze has made incredible sacrifices for freedom of speech, demonstrated outstanding resilience by founding a successful publishing house in exile, and inspired people around the world with his unquenchable dedication to publishing works by authors who have been attempted to be silenced."
Urushadze, in turn, stated: "It is a great honor for me to receive this award on behalf of our team of volunteers and authors."
Giorgi Urushadze is a Russian journalist and publisher. The association's website specifies that before the start of the war in Ukraine, he headed three leading literary awards in Russia, including the main national award "Big Book."
In 2022, Urushadze emigrated from Russia and founded the Freedom Letters publishing house. Among the project's partners is "Novaya Gazeta Europe." In 2024, Freedom Letters published the collection "The Backwoods: 13 Reports from Warring Russia," which included the best materials by journalists of "Novaya Gazeta Europe" created within the country. The editorial board and publishing house also established the "Freedom Books" award.
The Freedom to Publish award from the Association of American Publishers is presented annually to book publishers outside the United States that combat censorship and defend freedom of speech.