Publishing purges. Russian law enforcement arrests prominent book publishers in “extremism” raids

Key figures in Russia’s publishing industry, including a director of one of Russia’s leading publishers, have been detained following a series of targeted raids by law enforcement. They are facing extremism charges, though the specific nature of these charges has not yet been disclosed. Among those arrested is Anatoly Norovyatkin, the longtime distribution director at Eksmo, as well as people associated with publishing houses acquired by Eksmo in 2023: Popcorn Books, known for its focus on queer young adult fiction, and Individuum, a non-fiction publishing imprint.