Monday Starts on Saturday

Arkady Strugatsky (1925–1991) was drafted into the Soviet army and trained at the Military Institute of Foreign Languages in Moscow, from which he graduated in 1949 as an interpreter of English and Japanese. He worked as a teacher and interpreter for the military until 1955, when he began to work as an editor and writer. In 1958 he began to collaborate with his brother, Boris. Along with his brother, he is one of the most famous and popular Russian writers of science fiction. Together they wrote twenty-five novels and novellas, and their books have been widely translated and made into a number of films.

Boris Strugatsky (1933–2012) worked as an astronomer and computer engineer until 1966, when he became a full-time writer. Along with his brother, Arkady, he is one of the most famous and popular Russian writers of science fiction. Together they wrote twenty-five novels and novellas, and their books have been widely translated and made into a number of films.

Ramiz Monsef has spent several seasons as a member of Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s acting company, and he is the playwright of OSF’s 2013 production The Unfortunates. He has also appeared onstage in New York and in numerous regional productions.

Andrew Bromfield was born in Hull in Yorkshire, England, and for long periods has lived in Moscow, where he cofounded and edited the literary journal Glas. He now lives and works in rural Surrey. Bromfield has translated into English works by Boris Akunin, Sergei Lukyanenko, Mikhail Bulgakov, Daniil Kharms, Leo Tolstoy, and the Strugatsky brothers, but is perhaps best known for his acclaimed translations of the stories and novels of Victor Pelevin, including The Life of Insects, Buddha’s Little Finger, and Homo Zapiens.