The American Library in Paris welcomes Evan Gershkovich for his debut appearance in France to discuss his memoir, This Cursed Beautiful Land, in conversation with Pjotr Sauer, Russia affairs correspondent for The Guardian. Wrongfully arrested in Russia in March 2023 on fabricated espionage charges, Gershkovich spent 500 days in prison before his release in a landmark prisoner exchange. In this urgent conversation, he reflects on his experience of captivity, the enduring importance of a free press, and the contradictions of contemporary Russia.

About the speakers:

Evan Gershkovich is a foreign correspondent for the Wall Street Journal based in Berlin. Born in New Jersey to Soviet émigrés, he lived in Russia for more than five years before his 2023 arrest and subsequent sixteen-month imprisonment on false espionage charges. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Economist, and Foreign Policy, and he was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2025 as part of an investigative team for the Journal. He is the recipient of a MacDowell Fellowship.

Pjotr Sauer is a foreign correspondent for the Guardian covering Russia, Ukraine, and the countries of the Caucasus. His reporting is currently focused on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Sauer previously worked in political consultancy and lived in London where he earned a master’s degree in international relations from University College London.

Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (the speakers will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.

Attendance at this event constitutes permission for your photograph or video to be taken at the event and used by the American Library in Paris for marketing, promotional, pedagogical, or other purposes.