Mein Kampf in pride of place on bookshop shelves

Julien — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:30:04 +0100

Bookshop shelves displaying both Mein Kampf and a book about Barack Obama in a department store in Jakarta

Hitler's notorious diary ‘Mein Kampf' was translated into Indonesian in 2007. An immediate bestseller for publishers Narasi, it became one of their top five favourites. An employee from the publishing house explains why. Should we be worried about this seemingly unhealthy interest coming from the most populated Muslim country in the world?

The book comes in two volumes; both with the swastika on the front cover. It's got prime place in most big bookshops; in a country that consists 85% Muslims, and has only thirty confessed Jews despite a 234 million-strong population.

Independent Moscow bookstore faces ‘pornography’ charges

Julien — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:40:23 +0100

Times are tough for Russian intellectuals. A Moscow bookstore is facing prosecution for the illegal distribution of pornography. If the case goes ahead, Boris Kupriyanov, the owner of Falanster, a popular bookstore-cum-gathering spot for the city's intellectuals, could face up to two years in jail. Falanster also faces closure.

The charges are based on the sale of several popular books, including Virginie Despentes' Baise Moi and Lydia Lunch's Paradoxia: A Predator's Journey, which have been confiscated and declared "pure pornography". But some of the confiscated books are openly stocked and sold in other Moscow bookstores as well as Russia's online site, ozon.ru.

While reiterating that Falanster is not a political organization, Kupriyanov notes that the number of independent intellectual enterprises in Moscow has been dwindling in recent times.

Ostap Karmodi, one of our observers for Russia, contacted the owner of the bookshop. Post your questions to him on his profile page.

literature

Mein Kampf in pride of place on bookshop shelves

Independent Moscow bookstore faces ‘pornography’ charges