The International Booker Prize, one of the world’s most distinguished awards for fiction in translation, is set to undergo a major rebrand, becoming the Bukhman International Booker Prize. As reported by the Financial Times, the naming rights have been granted to Dmitry Bukhman, a Russian-born entrepreneur and co-founder of the mobile gaming powerhouse Playrix. The newly established partnership involves a commitment of £1.4 million annually over the next decade.
This injection of capital will effectively double the prize money, increasing the award from £50,000 to £100,000, to be shared equally between the winning author and translator. Gaby Wood, the director of the Booker Prize Foundation, lauded the deal as a vital lifeline, arguing that such private backing is essential to protect translation literature during an era of global cultural funding deficits.
Dmitry and Igor Bukhman rose to international prominence through their company Playrix, behind hits like Gardenscapes and Township. With estimated fortunes of $13.6 billion each, the brothers have established their business headquarters in Dublin after distancing themselves from Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. They are currently Israeli citizens residing in London. While the foundation views this as a purely philanthropic endeavor, the move highlights the ongoing complexities of global philanthropy involving capital with post-Soviet origins.
The Booker Prize has long been a bellwether for global literary trends. The recent win by Yang Shuang-zi’s Taiwan Travelogue marked the first time a Chinese-language work won the prestigious award, emphasizing the prize’s commitment to linguistic diversity. As the institution embarks on this new chapter under the Bukhman banner, it faces the challenge of balancing financial stability with the need for ethical scrutiny in a geopolitical environment where cultural influence is more contested than ever.