Ep 284: Patriot by Alexei Navalny with special guest John Wood

A special episode: Anna is joined by author and U-Go founder John Wood. 

We discuss our reactions to the 2025 Women’s Prize Longlist. 

Our book of the week is PATRIOT by Alexei Navalny translated by Arch Tait with Stephen Dalziel. This is Navalny’s autobiography detailing his rise to be a Russian opposition leader, but is also a prison diary following his arrest in January 2021.  He died in prison in February 2024. A New York Times bestseller, best book of the year (New Yorker, Atlantic, NPR) and finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. We highly recommend it - essential reading.

Books mentioned

SO BIG by Edna Ferber

DAYS IN THE CAUCASUS by Banine translated by Anne Thompson-Ahmadova

RED NOTICE by Bill Browder

THE MAN WITHOUT A FACE by Masha Gessen

SECOND-HAND TIME by Svetlana Alexievich translated by Bela Shayevich

THE TRIAL OF VALDIMIR PUTIN by Geoffrey Robertson KC

TRAVELS IN SIBERIA by Ian Frazier

DISAPPEARING EARTH by Julia Phillips

A SWIM IN A POND IN THE RAIN by George Saunders 

Films

Navalny 

Coming up:

WHITE NIGHTS and THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Follow us!

John:

Linkedin : John Wood

www.ugouniversity.org

Anna:

Instagram: @ abailliekaras

Substack: Books on the Go

Email: booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz