Profile Books has acquired The Illegals: Russia’s Most Brazen Spies and the Plan to Infiltrate the West through the GuardianForeign correspondent Shaun Walker.
Profile acquired UK and Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) from Matthew Marland at Rogers, Coleridge and White Literary Agency on behalf of Adam Eaglin at The Cheney Agency. The book will be published in April 2025, and Quynh Do at Knopf will publish it in the US.
“Last week saw the largest prisoner swap between Russia and the United States since the Cold War,” the summary says. “Besides the criminals and assassins returning to Russia, some of Putin’s spies were there, including a couple who had been living in Slovenia as Argentines and whose children didn’t even know they were Russian until Vladimir Putin greeted them at the airport. They are known as ‘illegals’ and are part of Russia’s long-standing, covert spy network.”
The synopsis adds: “Shaun Walker’s The illegals captures the untold story of Russia’s most valuable spy program, tracing its evolution from the talented “great illegals” of the 1920s and 1930s to the 21st century, when agents maintained their false identities and allegiances even after the fall of the Soviet Union.”
Nick Humphrey, Editor-in-Chief of Profile, said: “We are delighted to publish Shaun Walker’s comprehensive and masterful history of 20th and 21st century Russia, told through stories of covert espionage. With Russia’s espionage activity continuing in a darkening geopolitical context, this story has never been more relevant. The illegals promises to be a major release in 2025.”
Walker added: “I have been fascinated by the illegals since I first wrote about them nearly a decade ago. What initially attracted me was trying to understand the psychological contortions required to live in someone else’s skin for decades, and the chaos this wreaks on the illegals and their families. I also realized that, in addition to the spy drama, the story of the illegals program tells a larger story about Russia. It is such a uniquely Russian form of espionage and a fascinating lens through which to view the last century of Soviet and Russian history.”
