Spy Thriller About Belarus and 12 More Books Banned in Belarus

Belarus’s Ministry of Information has updated its list of “printed publications containing information and/or materials whose dissemination may harm the national interests of the Republic of Belarus.”

The list now includes Marc Levy’s spy novel “Noa.” It had previously been added to the list of “extremist materials.” The novel is set in 2020-2022. In spring 2020, a housewife named Sviatlana wins the presidential election after 27 years of rule by dictator Luchin. The security services take Sviatlana and her children abroad, while her husband Mikalai is sent to prison. Repression begins in Belarus. A journalist investigating corruption among the country’s top leadership is killed in Minsk.

The list also includes 12 more works:

• “Crimes in Pictures for Children. Who Is to Blame?” by Modesto Garcia,
• “Crimes in Pictures: Murder or Suicide?” by Modesto Garcia,
• “Shelter of Death” by Moral Atmaja,
• “Unreliable Blood” by Maria Solovyova,
• “The Illusion of Falling” by Leah Astrum,
• “The Arachnid” by I.V. Ophelia,
• “Congruent” by Veronica Desmond,
• “Those Few Who Bring Death” by Alexis Paton,
• “Those Few Who Bring Darkness” by Alexis Paton,
• “Darling” by C.J. Skuse,
• “The Room” by Hubert Selby Jr.,
• “The Shadow List” by Jade Presley.

The list maintained by the Ministry of Information now contains 271 works.