[3] His first novel Horovod (Round dance), published in the Novy mir literary magazine in 1996,[4] was one of the six finalists of the Russian Booker Prize in 1997,[5][6] one of the most important literary awards in Russia.

In 1998 Utkin released his second novel, Samoučki (The Autodidacts), also published by Novy Mir.

[10][11] According to Marc Weinstein, a French specialist in Russian literature, the two novels of Anton Outkine "overcome the psychological and social darkness of the last two decades of the twentieth century and introduce us to an expression of literary vitalisme".

[12] After obtaining a master's degree in history in 1992, three years later Utkin entered the script department of the Higher Courses of Scriptwriters and Directors under the State Television Committee (workshop of Natalya Ryazantseva) where he became interested in documentary films.

[13] Today Anton Outkine is the author of five novels and five documentary films as well as novelas and short stories.