In this episode, Evgeny Shtorn discusses his novel The Refugee Chronicles, translated by Alexsandra Novitskaya and published by Skein Press in October 2026.
Described by its publisher Skein Press as ‘a darkly funny and deeply human account of life in limbo,’ the book presents the most vivid account yet of Ireland’s Direct Provision system, by an author who spent 18 months inside it. Shtorn was forced to flee Russia in 2018 due to the government’s hostile policies toward both queer sexualities and political dissent, and he was subsequently granted international protection in Ireland in 2019. Drawn from the diaries kept throughout his journey, and blending elements of autofiction, autoethnography, and memoir, the book records the daily realities of life in the asylum system and presents a closely observed account of the people encountered along the way.
Evgeny Shtorn is an Irish Russophone writer, activist, and researcher. He left Russia in 2018 due to his civil society work and was granted international protection in Ireland in 2019. He recently submitted his PhD at the University of Helsinki, where he has been researching violence against LGBTIQ+ people in Russia. His work focuses on confronting authoritarian governance, analysing its effects on civil society, and supporting human rights work on the ground. In parallel, he develops autoethnographic writing grounded in lived experience, bridging research, advocacy, and narrative practice. He also collaborates with international partners on initiatives supporting human rights defenders at risk.
Books and their Makers is a new podcast series on RadioMoLI exploring the stories behind the books we read. It features conversations with authors, editors, publishers, agents, and translators, and highlights the many behind-the-scenes activities and workers involved in bringing writing to publication.
The series is presented by Dr Tim Groenland, School of English, Drama and Film, UCD, and supported by the project The Publishing Infrastructures of Contemporary Anglophone Literature, funded by Research Ireland.
