Representatives of 300 publishing houses gathered on Sept. 9-13 for the Lviv Book Forum, Ukraine's biggest annual book festival, and one of the biggest such events in Europe.
The event featured thousands of new books and dozens of presentations of recent literary releases. Among the highlights this year were the first Ukrainian translation of the best-selling “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand, and a long-awaited Ukrainian translation of “Ulysses” by James Joyce.
And there were lots of original works by Ukrainian authors too, many of which focused on current events – the war in the Donbas, the annexation of Crimea by Russia, and the EuroMaidan Revolution. Below is the pick of the best, and where to get hold of them.
“Short Stories” by Oleh Sentsov
The book consists of eight autobiographical short stories by Oleh Sentsov, a Ukrainian film director from Crimea recently sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Russian kangaroo court on phony charges of terrorism. All of the stories were written before Sentsov’s abduction and imprisonment by Russia. The royalties from sales of the book will go to Sentsov’s family. According to the publishers – Kyiv’s Laurus publishing house – the book is to be translated into English and German. The initial print run was only a couple of thousand copies, so the first edition might already be hard to get.
Where to buy: The book is now available in Russian at Babuin online bookstore (lavkababuin.com) for Hr 50
“Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery” by Henry Marsh
Henry Marsh, a world-famous neurosurgeon from London, started his writing career with a novel about a Ukrainian woman who died following an unsuccessful operation. In his book, Marsh tells honest stories about brain surgery, and his personal perception of it as a human being. “I would say it’s like bomb disposal work,” he said during his book presentation on Sept. 11. “But bomb disposal work for cowards, because it’s the patient’s risk, not mine.”
Marsh has visited Ukraine and particularly Kyiv regularly since 1992. As part of his work with his Ukrainian colleagues to advance surgical skills and save lives, he established a hospital here.
The Ukrainian translation of the book was done by another neurosurgeon and one of Marsh’s colleagues, Andriy Myzak.
Where to buy: Ukrainian version at www.starylev.com.ua for Hr 60. English version at www.amazon.com
“A Strong Name – Nadiya” (nadiya means hope in Ukrainian) by Nadiya Savchenko
Nadiya Savchenko, a Ukrainian military pilot imprisoned on phony murder charges in Russia, has written a book in jail telling her story from the moment of her capture by separatists in eastern Ukraine until today. Jailed in Russia since July 2014, Savchenko has been sending messages to her sister Vira Savchenko via her defense layer, Ilya Novikov, which Vira has typed up and arranged to produce the book.
In her book, Savchenko gives details about the Kremlin-backed separatists who captured her, recounts her time in prison and her hunger strike, recalls the first days of the anti-terrorist operation and discusses what happened to the Ukrainian over the first 23 years of Ukraine’s independence. Her story begins with the war in Iraq, where she was the only Ukrainian woman soldier. “I was amazed when I saw puddles on the ground for the first time,” she writes. “Not of rain, but of oil.”
Where to buy: In bookshops for Hr 95 paperback, Hr 165 hardcover. English version coming soon.
“Maybe Esther” (originally “Vielleicht Esther”) by Kateryna Petrovska
Ukrainian journalist and novel writer Kateryna Petrovska emigrated to Germany almost 20 years ago, where she has published her family biography “Maybe Esther.” Her story is centered on the Holocaust in Kyiv, at the ravine of Babi Yar, where a series of massacres were carried out by German forces during the Second World War.
Petrovska came from a half-Jewish family, and when Kyiv was occupied by the Nazis the family had first to hide, and then escape. She decided to write the book in German as the language has the proper set of vocabulary related to repentance for the Holocaust, according to Petrovska.
Where to buy: Ukrainian version at www.books-xxi.com.ua for Hr 90. Spanish, French, Italian, English, German and other versions also available from various booksellers.
“Airport” by Serhiy Loiko
“Airport” is one of the first novels published in Ukraine about the conflict in the east of the country. The author tells the story of the whole Ukrainian crisis, starting with the beginning of EuroMaidan Revolution in November 2013 and up to the legendary defense of Donetsk Airport, through the eyes of the novel’s main character – war photographer Oleksiy Molchanov. Around a melodramatic love story involving the hero, the author gives detailed descriptions of the everyday life of the “cyborgs” – the outnumbered Ukrainian defenders of the airport, who earned their nickname from the enemy for their dedication and courage. Loiko, a war reporter himself, was at the airport for four days and based many of his novel’s characters on the soldiers he met there. The author claims that many soldiers’ dialogs in the book are authentic, though most of the personal and geographical names are changed, and some events have been shifted in time.
Where to buy: The novel was originally written in Russian, but is also available in Ukrainian translation and can be purchased in most Kyiv bookstores for Hr 100.
“Ilovaisk” by Evhen Polozhiy
“Illovaisk” is another novel about the Russian war against Ukraine, and focuses on one of its most tragic events – the encirclement of Ilovaisk. The novel is based on more than a hundred interviews with eyewitnesses of the tragedy and soldiers who survived the battle, in which Ukrainian army forces were surrounded by the enemy, supposedly allowed to leave, but then attacked as they made their way out via a humanitarian corridor. The author says that almost all of the novel’s characters are based on real people, though some names have been changed or some events added to their life stories. Polozhiy is a Ukrainian writer and the chief editor of the Panorama newspaper in Sumy, Sumy Oblast.
Where to buy: The novel was being simultaneously written in both Russian and Ukrainian, and can be purchased in most Kyiv bookstores for Hr 100.
Yuliana Romanyshyn can be reached at [email protected]. Daryna Shevchenko can be reached at [email protected]
