We’re eagerly awaiting the publication next week of The Disappearing Act by Maria Stepanova, translated by Sasha Dugdale. Today we’re sharing a special pre-release interview with Maria Stepanova, one of Russia’s leading writers.

The Disappearing Act is a profound and quietly poignant reflection on agency and identity during times of war and displacement, told through a dreamlike narrative that weaves together elements of autofiction, fable and magic.

In the book, a writer, M, lives in exile after her country invades its neighbour. She is severed from her former life and her future, and carries a burden of shame and guilt. Finding herself stranded in an unfamiliar town after an unfortunate series of events, M is presented with an opportunity – to be forgotten, to reinvent herself, or maybe even to vanish altogether. 

We spoke with Maria about the story behind The Disappearing Act, its shifts between fiction and autofiction and its elusive heroine, as well as her thoughts on the current Russian literary landscape, reclaiming the Russian language through her writing, and much more.