In brief
Evan Gershkovich, a journalist imprisoned in Russia for over a year, announces a memoir detailing his ordeal and Russia's political climate, to be published by Crown in 2026.
Evan Gershkovich, an American journalist formerly with The Wall Street Journal, is set to publish a memoir reflecting on his imprisonment in Russia, where he was held on espionage charges. Announced for release in 2026 by Crown, an imprint of Penguin Random House, the memoir will explore his experiences during 16 harrowing months in a Russian prison and the country’s shift under autocratic rule. "A testament to human resilience," said Paul Whitlatch, Crown's editorial director, highlighting Gershkovich’s unwavering journalistic spirit despite severe conditions. Gershkovich's detention, marking the first such arrest of an American journalist on spying charges in Russia since the Cold War, served as a profound moment in President Vladimir V. Putin's crackdown on independent media. Initially detained during a reporting trip in March 2023, Gershkovich faced a closed-door trial resulting in a high-security colony sentence. He was released in August 2024 through a complex international prisoner swap. The memoir promises to provide insight into modern Russia and its Western relations, enriched by Gershkovich’s unique background as the son of Soviet émigrés and his professional tenure in Russia. The book will also be available through British and Dutch publishers, William Collins and Meulenhoff, respectively, according to his agent Adam Eaglin, who praises Gershkovich's extraordinary storytelling abilities.
