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Doestoevsky was sent to study engineering at St Petersburg Academy at the age of 17, but pursued independent interests in literature and politics. His brief devotion to political radicalism in Tsarist Russia nearly cost him his life (a death sentence in 1849 was commuted to four years' hard labour at the last minute); his literary dedication – in such extraordinary novels as The Idiot, Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov – has guaranteed his immortality. // David Zane Mairowitz is an author, playwright, radio director and translator. A professional freelance writer for 40 years, he has published numerous books, including the successful Introducing Kafka (with Robert Crumb), Introducing Camus, and Wilhelm Reich for Beginners. His theatrical plays include a critically acclaimed version of Kafka’s The Trial. His articles have appeared in Harper's, Vogue, Plays and Players, The Village Voice, The Progressive and The Sunday Times. His short stories have appeared in literary magazines, including Partisan Review, New Directions and the prestigious Penguin Modern Stories. For the past 25 years he has produced radio dramas and documentaries for the BBC an