On July 22, 2025, the co-founders of the Yasnaya Polyana Literary Prize, the Leo Tolstoy Museum-Estate and Samsung Electronics, announced the shortlist for the New Adult category of the prize’s 23rd season. From more than 80 works nominated in 2025, addressing the audience of young adults and teenagers, nine books were selected. Works published after 2023 were considered. Nominations were submitted by publishing houses, editorial boards of literary magazines, and past laureates of the award.
The New Adult Category was established last year with the aim of giving more attention to books for the 16–30-year-old reading audience. The nomination continues the idea of Leo Tolstoy’s work Childhood. Boyhood. Youth, which explores the transition into adulthood, and celebrates works that reveal the theme of growing up with genuinely Tolstoyan depth and psychological insight.
“Our young jury turned out to be very demanding and discerning this year. Out of more than eighty nominated works, only nine were selected. In a sense, each of them can already consider themselves a winner. This makes it all the more interesting to find out who the laureate will be in the fall,”
— commented Vladimir Tolstoy, chairman of the jury.
The New Adult Category recognizes works by contemporary authors writing in Russian, in which the themes of personal development, relationships with parents and family, friendship and love, as well as confrontation with and understanding of reality, are most deeply explored. The prize fund for the New Adult Category is 400,000 rubles. The winner will be announced at the annual Yasnaya Polyana Prize ceremony in October.
The New Adult Category was established last year with the aim of giving more attention to books for the 16–30-year-old reading audience. The nomination continues the idea of Leo Tolstoy’s work Childhood. Boyhood. Youth, which explores the transition into adulthood, and celebrates works that reveal the theme of growing up with genuinely Tolstoyan depth and psychological insight.
“Our young jury turned out to be very demanding and discerning this year. Out of more than eighty nominated works, only nine were selected. In a sense, each of them can already consider themselves a winner. This makes it all the more interesting to find out who the laureate will be in the fall,”
— commented Vladimir Tolstoy, chairman of the jury.
The New Adult Category recognizes works by contemporary authors writing in Russian, in which the themes of personal development, relationships with parents and family, friendship and love, as well as confrontation with and understanding of reality, are most deeply explored. The prize fund for the New Adult Category is 400,000 rubles. The winner will be announced at the annual Yasnaya Polyana Prize ceremony in October.