In recent months the Library Ukrainian literature in Moscow does not disappear from city news. At the end of October, its director Natalya Sharina faced a criminal case for allegedly distributing among readers books by the Ukrainian nationalist Dmitro Korchinsky, which are recognized as extremist in Russia. Last week the library was searched again. Official Kyiv called them a provocation.
The Village asked Kyiv literary critic Yuri Volodarsky to help understand what modern Ukrainian literature is. The editors asked him to select ten most important books written after Ukraine gained independence, in both Ukrainian and Russian, to show the value of modern Ukrainian literature and the importance of the Library of Ukrainian Literature for Moscow.
YURIY VOLODARSKY
publicist, critic, jury member of the Ukrainian literary award “BBC Book of the Year” (Kyiv)
I considered it necessary to recommend a list of books from the period of Ukrainian independence, that is, written after 1991. These books may not be the best, but they are probably the most significant in Ukrainian literature. In addition, I tried to choose books that had already been translated into Russian. Because otherwise the Russian reader is unlikely to be able to read them: there are people who say that the Ukrainian language is some kind of non-existent language, but they themselves will not be able to understand Ukrainian either on paper or by ear.
To denote modern Ukrainian literature, local criticism uses the term “suchasna Ukrainian literature”, in abbreviation - suchakrlit. Although this term is a little ironic, it is used in the Ukrainian literary environment.
The situation with Russian-language authors is interesting, because there is debate about whether they can be considered part of modern Ukrainian literature. I am of the unequivocal opinion that it is not only possible, but absolutely necessary. The problem is that for the last 24 years, Russian-language poets and prose writers in Ukraine have been somehow pushed aside from the general literary process. The last two books on this list were written in Russian.
Yuri Andrukhovich - “Moscoviada”
"Moskoviada", 1993
Yuri Andrukhovych is one of the founding fathers of modern Ukrainian literature. You could even say that it started with him. “Moscoviada” is his second novel, dedicated to the Moscow period of the life of the author, who studied at the Gorky Literary Institute. This is a kind of programmatic book about the fact that Ukraine is not Russia and that a Ukrainian is not Russian. The main character travels around Moscow, communicates with different people, gets into everyday situations and gradually gets drunk. That is, this is such an alcohol trip, reminiscent of “Moscow - Petushki” by Venedikt Erofeev. But in Andrukhovich’s work the hero does not die, and as it develops the action becomes more and more phantasmagorical. And it is at the end that declarations are made that the Ukrainian person is not Russian. To understand the differences between Ukraine and Russia, “Moscoviada” is a must-read.
Oksana Zabuzhko - “Field research of Ukrainian sex”
“Polish investigation into Ukrainian sex”, 1996
Oksana Zabuzhko’s story “Field Research of Ukrainian Sex” was published in the mid-1990s, and then critic Lev Danilkin called the author a national feminist. He was absolutely right in the sense that this is also a declaration, and this is inherent in the literature of the first years of Ukrainian independence. This is a book about female love and dependence on a man, which the heroine overcomes in the course of the story, but also with pronounced national overtones. Although the title of the book sounds shocking, in reality the book is quite chaste. By the way, several years ago Zabuzhko released a grandiose novel, “The Museum of Abandoned Secrets,” which many called almost the main book of suchukrlit. Much of it is dedicated to the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, although the author said that the book is not about the UPA, but about love. They managed to translate it into Russian. Now it is impossible to imagine the release of such a book in Russia.
Sergei Zhadan - Voroshilovgrad
Sergei Zhadan is the main character of modern Ukrainian literature. He is both a poet and a prose writer, winner of many awards, including the BBC Book of the Year, which can be considered an analogue of the Russian " Big book" and "Russian Booker". The title of the novel “Voroshilovgrad” is not directly related to the real Voroshilovgrad, which is now called Lugansk. The novel is about the need to take care and protect your own. His hero is a restless young man who hangs out in the city doing office work, and then finds out that his brother has disappeared and what is left of him is a gas station, which must be saved from the raiders laying claim to it. The leitmotif of the novel is two words that are often mentioned there: “vdyachnіst” and “vіdpovіdalnіst”, which can be translated as “gratitude” and “responsibility.” Zhadan is characterized by the ability to work in different literary registers: he combines a strong narrative with a purely poetic approach. And in his later novels There is always a mythological component: in “Voroshilovgrad” the hero, by traveling by bus, actually crosses the River Styx and goes to the kingdom of the dead. We do not quite understand what is happening to the hero: is it reality or fiction, reality or some kind of symbolic journey.
Taras Prokhasko - “Difficult”
“Uneasy”, 2002
Taras Prokhasko is considered one of the most original Ukrainian authors, but he writes catastrophically little. He is the author of just one short novel, Uneasy. This is Ukrainian magical realism, which grows not in accessible flat areas, but in rugged remote areas. For Pavic it was the Balkans, and for Prokhasko it was the Carpathians. The writer depicts a completely mythological Carpathian world, where its own laws apply, not only social ones, but also the laws of the world order. The main character marries one woman, and each subsequent woman is his daughter from the previous one. Naturally, incest should not be taken literally; it also has a mythological character. Prokhasko is a unique Ukrainian writer. His novel could not have been written anywhere except the Carpathians.
Yuri Izdryk - “Wozzeck”
If Prokhasko is Ukrainian mythology, and Zhadan is social literature, then Izdryk is such an introverted, essay-like, almost plotless prose with a huge amount references to other texts of suchukrlit. The text is filled with sensations from everything in the world: from what a person sees, what he reads, from what he reads about what he sees, and what he sees in what he reads. Reading Izdryk is always difficult: he doesn’t favor the plot. The hero of “Wozzeck” is Izdryk himself, who appears in different guises. It is characteristic that almost all the writers on this list are from the west of Ukraine. These are representatives of the so-called “Stanislav phenomenon”, the name of which is associated with Ivano-Frankivsk, which was called Stanislav until 1961. This phenomenon characterizes a sharp departure from socialist realism of the Soviet period and the rapid manifestation of postmodernism in Ukrainian literature.
Alexander Irvanets - “Rivne/Rivne”
This novel is important, but at the same time secondary. Alexander Irvanets is a colleague of Yuri Andrukhovich in the group “BuBaBaBu” (“Burlesque, farce, buffoonery”), with which suchukrlit began in the mid-1980s. The novel “Rivne/Rivne” is about the city where Irvanets lived a significant part of his life. This is a kind of dystopia in which Moscow extends its influence over most of Ukraine, and the border between Russian-controlled Ukrainian territories and those that have retained independence runs through the middle of the city of Rivne. Therefore, part of the city is called in Ukrainian, and part in Russian. And there is a great contrast between life in these parts of the city. A dull “scoop” on one side and a completely prosperous, joyful, meaningful life from the point of view of the arts in the second half. To any person who is well acquainted with Russian literature of the second half of the 20th century, this plot inevitably resembles Vasily Aksenov’s novel “The Island of Crimea”.
Maria Matios - “Sweet Darusya”
“Licorice Darusya”, 2004
Maria Matios is also a representative of Western Ukrainian literature, or rather its rural discourse. She was born in the Chernivtsi region, a territory that was either under Austria-Hungary or under Russia. It passed from hand to hand and became a battlefield for different powers, which trampled it and destroyed it simply because they passed there. main character novel - a girl whose family was destroyed by the NKVD, she was left alone and silent. This is probably main novel about what happened in western Ukraine after it came under Soviet control.
Sofia Andrukhovich - "Felix Austria"
"Felix Austria", 2014
Sofia Andrukhovich is the daughter of Yuri Andrukhovich. Her novel Felix Austria won the BBC Book of the Year last year. The name is a Latin fragment of a phrase that one of the Austro-Hungarian emperors once said: “Let others wage war! You, happy Austria, get married!” The action takes place in Stanislav, now Ivano-Frankivsk, in 1900. The main character is a Rusyn (that is, Ukrainian) maid in an Austrian-Polish family, whose owner is both her friend and everything else. It turns out to be an interesting symbol: the mistress symbolizes Austria-Hungary, and the maid symbolizes the Ukrainian lands within it. This is a deconstruction of the myth in Ukrainian culture about the supposedly happy and carefree days of Western Ukraine as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It is not true. Even though life was better than under the Soviets, it is also clear that grace is illusory, and Andrukhovich shows this in a single family. Towards the end, the author recalls that Austria-Hungary, whose prosperity seemed unshakable, after some 18 years will cease to exist at all.
Vladimir Rafeenko - “Demon of Descartes”
Vladimir Rafeenko, in my opinion, is the most significant Russian-language writer in Ukraine. Previously, he lived in Donetsk, and in July 2014, for all obvious reasons, he moved to Kyiv. Rafeenko is a continuator of Gogol's tradition. His novels are always phantasmagoria, but with a very strong social component and a very peculiar language, which combines high and low styles, switching registers from mythological to realistic. When Rafeenko lived in Donetsk, his books were practically unknown in the rest of Ukraine. They were published in marginal Donbass publications, but then he won for two years top places"Russian Prize" First it was “Moscow Divertissement”, and then “Descartes’ Demon”. The latter was published in Eksmo, and Rafeenko became famous in his homeland. This is a ridiculous way: to become famous in Kyiv, you need to be published in Moscow.
Karine Arutyunova - “Say Red”
Karine Arutyunova started writing quite late: she published her first book when she was over 40. She writes short prose, which is marked by a very special author’s style. This is such an exclusive attention to the evidence of all the senses. In her works there are many shades, colors, olfactory and tactile sensations, always very subjective evidence of the world. This prose can be called women's prose, but not in terms of plots, but in terms of temperament. If you asked me what this book was about, I wouldn't be able to answer. It's about everything. There are a million everyday situations, but it is not they themselves that are important, but their perception and the ability to present them in the author’s originality. In addition to novels, there are also short stories. Reading them is sometimes faster and more joyful - at least for those who are looking for tactile, sound, visual and other small pleasures in life.
cover image: LiveLib ; 1 – ozon.ru, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 – LiveLib, 9 – labirint.ru, 10 –
Ukraine, represented in best works our writers, is gradually finding its way to the minds and hearts of readers around the world. In our selection, we take it for granted that the works of our classics are known and loved by Ukrainian scholars and students of departments Ukrainian language and literature in other countries. We also do not mention writers of Ukrainian origin who lived and worked abroad, without positioning themselves as representatives of Ukrainian culture: the same Joseph Conrad, who was born in Berdichev, but is known throughout the world as British writer. Writers of the Ukrainian diaspora more than deserve a separate article. Here we tried to gather representatives of modern Ukrainian literature: authors who live and work in Ukraine, whose works are translated and published in other countries of the world.
Polish investigation into Ukrainian sex
Oksana Zabuzhko, Comora
Even if you are one of those who don’t like Zabuzhko, you cannot but agree that she is a master of modernism, a deep connoisseur Ukrainian history and a keen student of human relations. Some novels come to us exactly when we should read them: this one is about the danger of complete immersion in another person, about total love, which requires a woman to renounce herself, her talent, mission and space, her soul and destiny. The novel was published in English, Bulgarian, Dutch, Italian, German, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Swedish, Czech. Other works by Oksana Zabuzhko: “Sister, Sister”, “The Tale of the Kalinov Sopilka”, “The Museum of Abandoned Secrets” are also published in translation abroad.
Perversion
Yuri Andrukhovich, “Lileya”
A completely crazy plot, and it’s clear why foreign readers liked it. Imagine a scientific symposium in Venice, the theme of which is: “Post-carnival world: what’s in store?” Ukrainian writer Stanislav Perfetsky gets to the Syposium via Munich, driven by a strange married couple: Ada Citrina and the mute Doctor Janus Maria Riesenbock. In Venice, Perfetsky, rushing for a prostitute, ends up at a sectarian worship service: representatives of migrants different nationalities a new deity is worshiped, to whom a large fish is sacrificed at the end of the ceremony. And then the plot twists in such a way that Perfetsky finds its ending only on the remote island of San Michele, finally finding the only priest who can listen to his confession and talk to him about Ukraine. The novel was published in many languages, as was another cult work of the author, “Moscoviada”.
Mesopotamia
Sergey Zhadan, “Family Dozville Club”
"Mesopotamia" is nine stories in prose and thirty poetic clarifications. All the texts in this book are about the same environment, the characters move from one story to another, and then into poetry. Philosophical digressions, fantastic images, exquisite metaphors and specific humor - everything that is so attractive in Zhadan’s works is here. These are the stories of Babylon, retold for those interested in questions of love and death. Stories about the life of a city lying between two rivers, biographies of characters who fight for their right to be heard and understood, chronicles of street clashes and daily passions. The novel is very popular abroad.
Cult
Lyubko Deresh, “Kalvarya”
“Cult” is the first novel by Lubomir (Lyubka) Deresh. Back in 2001, the young author was 16 years old. Some people define the genre of this work as fantasy, but, be that as it may, Deresh’s novel “says hello” to such masters of gothic and fantasy as Poe, Zelazny or Lovecraft. The novel has been translated and published in Serbia, Bulgaria, Poland, Germany, Italy and France.
Picnic on Ice/Death of a Stranger
Andrey Kurkov, “Folio”
Kurkov is perhaps one of the most published Ukrainian writers abroad; his translations of “Picnic on Ice” were published by the best publishing houses. On english book was published under the title “Death and the Penguin”, and this version was retained in many languages. Today the novel has been translated into five languages, including English, German, and Italian. Why did the plot interest foreign readers? Because this is a very interesting intellectual detective story. Journalist Viktor Zolotarev receives an unusual assignment from a major newspaper: to write obituaries of prominent influential people, although they are all still alive. Gradually, he realizes that he has become a participant in a large game of shadow structures, from which it turns out to be an almost impossible task to get out of it alive. Kurkov's works have been translated into 37 languages.
Tango of Death
Yuriy Vinnichuk, “Folio”
The novel was named the 2012 BBC Book of the Year. The novel takes place in two storylines. In the first we meet four friends: a Ukrainian, a Pole, a German and a Jew who live in pre-war Lviv. Their parents were soldiers of the UPR army and died in 1921 near the Bazaar. Young people go through all the vicissitudes of their age, but never betray their friendship. Second story line has other characters, and its action takes place not only in Lviv, but also in Turkey. Both lines intersect in an unexpected ending. Vinnichuk's works were published in England, Argentina, Belarus, Canada, Germany, Poland, Serbia, USA, France, Croatia, and the Czech Republic.
Difficulties
Taras Prokhasko, “Lileya”
Difficulties - who are they? Hutsuls call people who differ from others in knowledge and skills, which can benefit or harm other people. The novel is dedicated to the “alternative” history of the Carpathians, its action takes place in the period from 1913 to 1951. The Carpathians were both a very archaic environment and, paradoxically as it may sound, a very open zone of intercultural communication. This second myth, about the open Carpathians, is its alternative history. Prokhasko's works have been translated into English, German, Polish, and Russian.
Licorice Darusya
Maria Matios, “Pyramid”
Most famous novel Maria Matios, rightly called “a tragedy adequate to the history of the twentieth century,” and Darusya herself - “almost biblically" The action takes place in Bukovina, in a mountain village where Darusya and her parents live, and where the NKVD officers come after the occupation of Western Ukraine by Soviet troops. Now Darusya, whom her fellow villagers consider crazy and for some reason call her “sweet,” lives alone. It's the 70s outside. Darusya remembers her young and loving parents, who were “grinded” by the millstones of the regime, and sometimes reminds people living around her of the sins they committed. But a moment comes and Darusya’s life changes. The novel went through 6 reprints. “Licorice Darusya” was released in Polish, Russian, Croatian, German, Lithuanian, French, Italian.
Oko prіrvi/Chotiri romani
Valery Shevchuk, “A-BA-BA-GA-LA-MA-GA”
Valery Shevchuk is a living classic. The publishing house of Ivan Malkovich has released a book with four of the author’s most famous novels, including “Tear the Eye.” The genre of this novel is a historical-mystical dystopia. Its action takes place in the distant 16th century, but the author hints, of course, at the totalitarian regime of the USSR. Shevchuk’s works have long been published in English, Polish and German.
Ostannє bazhanya
Evgenia Kononenko, “Anneta Antonenko’s show”
How do writers who lied their whole lives die? They served the regime, wrote books that no one read, although the writer’s family lived in abundance for the fees. No one will leave this life until they tell the truth. Even if a notebook with an autobiography falls into the hands of his son, having lain in a pile of unnecessary drafts for a decade and a half. Evgenia Kononenko is a wonderful author and translator of fiction. Her works have been translated into English, German, French, Croatian, Russian, Finnish, Polish, Belarusian and Japanese.
Over the years of independence, a whole galaxy of writers with an original style, a special manner of writing and genre diversity has formed in Ukrainian literature. IN modern texts There is more openness, experimentation, national flavor and thematic breadth, which allows authors to achieve professional success not only in Ukraine, but also abroad. prepared a list of 25 Ukrainian writers, forming modern literature, which, no matter what skeptics say, continues to actively develop and influence public opinion.
Yuri Andrukhovich
Without this author it is difficult to imagine modern Ukrainian literature in general. Creative activity began with the fact that in 1985, together with Victor Neborak and Alexander Irvanets, he founded the literary association Bu-Ba-Bu. The writer's name is associated with the emergence of the "Stanislavsky phenomenon" and interest in modern Ukrainian literature in the West.
THINGS WORTH READING: From poetry collections - "Exotic birds and plants" And "Songs for a dead song" , from novels - "Recreations" , "Moskoviada" And "Twelve Hoops" . The essays from the collection will be no less interesting "The devil has a home in Syria" , and travelers will enjoy the largest book by Yuri Andrukhovich "Lexicon of intimate places" .
Sergey Zhadan
There is probably no more popular author in Ukraine today than Zhadan. Poet, novelist, essayist, translator, musician, public figure. His texts resonate in the hearts of millions of readers (and since 2008 - and listeners - with the release of the first joint album with the group "Dogs in Space" called "Army Sports Club").
The writer actively tours, participates in public life country and helps the army. Lives and works in Kharkov.
THINGS WORTH READING: All of the author’s poetry collections are worth reading, and among prose – early novels "Big Mac" , "Depeche Mode" , "Voroshilovgrad" and late "Mesopotamia" (2014).
Les Podervyansky
Outrageous Ukrainian writer, artist, author of satirical plays. Practices oriental martial arts. In the 90s, his texts were copied from tape to tape and secretly passed between teenagers. Complete collection The works "Africa, Dream" were published in 2015 by the publishing house "Our Format".
THINGS WORTH READING: "Hero of our hour" , "Pavlik Morozov. An epic tragedy" , "Hamlet, or the Phenomenon of Danish Katsapism" , "Vasilisa Yegorovna and the peasants" .
Taras Prokhasko
Undoubtedly, the most mysterious Ukrainian writer, whose voice fascinates and calms at the same time. In terms of his writing style and lifestyle, the author is often compared to the wandering philosopher Skovoroda.
THINGS WORTH READING: One of the author's most representative works is the novel "Difficulties" . Also worthy of attention: "Annie's Other Days" "FM Galicia" , "The same and the same" .
Yuri Izdrik
Editor-in-Chief of the legendary magazine "Chetver", published since 1990 and aimed at popularizing modern Ukrainian literature. Yuri Izdrik is a poet, prose writer, participant in the musical project "DrumTIatr". Lives and works in Kalush.
THINGS WORTH READING: novels "KRK Island" , "Wozzeck & Wozzekurgy" , "Underwhelming Leon" . An interesting creative experiment is a book project with journalist Evgenia Nesterovich Summa , in which the author shares recipes for happiness, love and understanding of the world.
Oleg Lishega
Poet, prose writer, translator of works by Mark Twain, Thomas Eliot, Ezra Pound, David Herbert Lawrence, Sylvia Plath, John Keats. His work was greatly influenced, on the one hand, by the literature of China, and on the other, by the works of Ivan Franko and Bogdan-Igor Antonich.
Lishega is the first Ukrainian poet to be awarded the PEN Club Prize for poetic translation. Unfortunately, the author passed away in 2014.
THINGS WORTH READING: the writer's most famous prose book "Friend Li Bo, brother Du Fu" , longlisted for the BBC Book of the Year Award.
Oksana Zabuzhko
Cult Ukrainian writer, essayist and translator. The author was first actively discussed in the second half of the 90s. with the release of her novel "Poly's Investigations into Ukrainian Sex", which caused a real sensation in Ukrainian literature. Since then, she has received many awards, including the Literary Prize of the Central and of Eastern Europe"Angelus" (Poland) for the book "Museum of Abandoned Secrets".
THINGS WORTH READING: "Polish investigation into Ukrainian sex" , "Museum of Abandoned Secrets" , "Let my people go: 15 texts about the Ukrainian revolution" , "Map of books and people" , "Chronicles of Fortinbras" .
Natalya Belotserkovets
The poetess is known to Ukrainian readers primarily as the author of the poem “We will not die in Paris...”, which became a hit performed by the group “Dead Song”. She rarely gives interviews and rarely speaks in public, but her texts can be considered classics of modern Ukrainian literature. Almost no anthology of modern Ukrainian poetry is complete without her poems. Natalia Belotserkovets’s poems are light and deep at the same time; they very subtly set the mood and inspire writing.
THINGS WORTH READING: collection "Hotel Central" .
Kost Moskalets
Poet, novelist, essayist, literary critic. Since 1991, he has lived in the Chernigov region in the Tea Rose Cell, which he built with his own hands, focusing exclusively on literary work. He maintains an author's blog where he posts poems, reviews and photos. Author of the cult Ukrainian song "Vona" ("Tomorrow I'll come to the room..."), performed by the group "Crying Jeremiah". For the book "Flashes" in 2015 he received National Award named after Taras Shevchenko.
THINGS WORTH READING: among poetry books - "Mislivtsi in the snow" And "Symbol of the Trojans" , prosaic - "The Cell of the Tea Trojan".
Tanya Malyarchuk
Writer and journalist, winner of the Joseph Conrad-Korzeniewski Literary Prize (2013). Now lives in Austria. The author's texts have been translated into Polish, Romanian, German, English, Russian and Belarusian.
THINGS WORTH READING: the writer's early novels - "Burn Down. Book of Fears" , "How I became a saint" , "Speak" , and "Biography of a fall miracle" , included in the “long list” of the 2012 BBC Book of the Year award.
Alexander Irvanets
Together with Yuri Andrukhovich and Victor Neborak, in 1985 he founded the literary association Bu-Ba-Bu. Known as Treasurer Boo-Ba-Boo. Those who follow the author’s work on Facebook know his witty short poems about current events of our time.
THINGS WORTH READING: alternative history novel "Rivne/Rivne" , "Five p'es" "Ochachimrya: Tale and Revelation" , "Satyricon–XXI" .
Andrey Lyubka
Idol of girls, holder of the title "the most eligible bachelor of Transcarpathia", writer, columnist and translator. Born in Riga, lives in Uzhgorod. The author speaks at many literary festivals, actively travels to various scholarships abroad, and writes columns for several publications. Each of his A new book causes lively discussion on social networks and the media.
Worth reading: author's debut novel "Carbide" , as well as his collections of poems: "TERORISM" , "Forty bucks plus tip" and a collection of essays "Sleep with the women" .
Irena Karpa
“Writer. Singer. Traveler” is the title of one of Irena Karpa’s books, which, perhaps, best conveys all the aspects of the author. Recently appointed First Secretary for Cultural Affairs of the Ukrainian Embassy in France. Author of 9 books, numerous publications in the press and blogosphere. Mother of two daughters.
THINGS WORTH READING: early texts – "50 hvilin grass" , "Freud bi cry" , "Pearl Porn" .
Dmitry Lazutkin
This writer combines three hypostases - a poet, a journalist and an athlete. Winner of numerous literary prizes, holder of a black belt (1st dan) in kempo karate, bronze medalist of the World Cup in kickboxing and kick-jitsu, author of 8 poetry collections. Collaborates with the Kozak System group. Many fans know the song “Taka Spokusliva” based on the words of the poet. Actively speaks to the army, often travels to the East.
THINGS WORTH READING: "Petrol" , "Good songs about nasty girls" , "Chervona book" .
Les Beley
Having made his debut with poetry collections, the author attracted even more attention with the release of the novel “Little Maidens”. Love and hate in Uzhgorod." Written in the non-fiction style, the work became one of the first documentary novels in modern Ukrainian literature. And for that reason alone, it is worth reading. Further filling of this niche and the release of a joint book project with Polish reporter Lukasz Saturchak " Asymmetrical symmetry: field research on Ukrainian-Polish wines” only strengthened the writer’s position.
Les Beley is also one of the organizers of the all-Ukrainian competition of artistic reporting "Self-Widest".
THINGS WORTH READING: "Lehy maidens" yanosti. Love and hate in Uzhgorod" , "Asymmetrical symmetry: field studies of Ukrainian-Polish wines."
Alexey Chupa
The writer was born in the Donetsk region, worked as a machinist at a metallurgical plant. Two years ago, because of the war, he moved to Lviv. Since then he has been actively publishing new works and going on tours.
Two of his books – “Bums of Donbass” and “10 Words about Vitchizna” – were included in the long list of the “BBC Book of the Year 2014” award.
THINGS WORTH READING: from prose books - "Kazki my bomb-stupidity" And fresh novel "Cherry and I" .
Elena Gerasimyuk
Young poetess, essayist, translator, winner of several literary awards. She is quite deservedly called the poetic discovery of 2013. The author’s debut poetry collection, “Deafness,” will appeal to readers of different generations. The poems have been translated into nine languages.
THINGS WORTH READING: poetry collection "Deafness".
Sofia Andrukhovich
At the beginning of the two thousandth she made her debut with prose books “Summer of the Millennium”, “Old People”, “Women of Their People”. In 2007, her novel “Syomga” was published, which caused a mixed reaction, with some critics calling it “genital literature.”
After seven years of silence, the writer published perhaps her best novel, Felix Austria. This work is a kind of map of Stanislav (Ivano-Frankivsk - author) from the times of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, against the backdrop of which love and other relationships unfold. The novel received the 2014 BBC Book of the Year award.
THINGS WORTH READING: "Felix Austria" .
Maxim Kidruk
In his thirties, the writer managed to visit more than 30 countries, including Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, China, Namibia, New Zealand etc. All these travels formed the basis of his books - “Mexican Chronicles. The History of a World”, “The Road to the Navel of the Earth” (2 volumes), “Loves and Piranhas”, “Discoveries in Peru” and others.
The author's works will appeal to those who dream of traveling, but never dare to hit the road. Most of the texts are written in non-fiction style and contain detailed instructions on how to get to a particular country, what to try and what to avoid.
THINGS WORTH READING: "Mexican chronicles. The history of one world" , "Travel to the Navel of the Earth" , "Love and Piranha" , "Navigation in Peru" .
Irina Tsylyk
Irina Tsilyk is a native Kiev resident. Mine creative path started in poetry and cinema. She has published 8 books and made three short films. Author of the lyrics of the song "Turn Around Alive", which is performed by the groups "Telnyuk Sisters" and "Kozak System".
Irina Tsilyk’s poetry is incredibly feminine, lyrical and sincere. However, like the writer herself.
THINGS WORTH READING: collections of poems "Tsi" And "Depth of sharpness" , as well as a book for children "THE MYSTORY OF A FRIENDSHIP" .
Yuri Vinnichuk
One of the most prolific representatives of modern Ukrainian literature, he was awarded the “Golden Writers of Ukraine” award for the number of books sold. Author of several literary hoaxes, compiler of anthologies of fantasy and fairy tales, translator. He worked as the editor of the famous newspaper "Post-Postup", where he contributed materials under the pseudonym Yuzio Observator.
THINGS WORTH READING: "Devil of the Night" , "Malva Landa" , "Spring games in autumn gardens" , "Tango of Death" .
Lyubko Deresh
Over the past few years, the writer has rarely come out with new literary texts. And at the beginning of the two thousandth he was one of the most popular authors. He published his first novel, entitled “Cult,” at the age of eighteen. The main characters of his works are teenagers who fall in love, use hallucinogenic substances and search for themselves.
Worth reading: early works "Worship of the Lizard" , "Arche" , "Namir!" , "Trochi by drink" .
Irene Rozdobudko
The writer confidently occupies the niche of “women's literature”. Almost every year she publishes new books aimed at a wide audience. For her fertility and popularity she was awarded the “Golden Writers of Ukraine” award. The author works in various genres. Among her books there are detective stories, psychological thrillers, dramas, travel essays, etc. Therefore, every reader looking for light reading on the road in the subway, minibus or bus will be able to find something suitable for themselves.
THINGS WORTH READING: "Gudzik" , "Ziv" or the cards are going out , "Pasta for the Firebird."
Natalya Snyadanko
In 2004, Natalya Sniadanko’s story “A Collection of Predilections, or Benefits of a Young Ukrainian Woman” was published in Poland, which immediately became a bestseller. In his texts, the author often touches on the problems of Ukrainian guest workers and the role of women in society.
THINGS WORTH READING: "Seasonal sale of blondes" , "Herbarium of Kokhants" , "Frau Müller is not prepared to pay more" .
Yuri Pokalchuk
People like him are said to be a “one-man orchestra.” The writer knew 11 foreign languages and visited 37 countries. In his Ukrainian translations works by Ernest Hemingway, Jerome Salinger, Jorge Borges, Julio Cortazar, and Jorge Amado were released.
In the 90s together with the group "Dead Song" he founded a musical project - "Vogni of the Great Place".
For more than twenty years, the writer dealt with the problems of juvenile delinquents, and also filmed documentary about a juvenile colony called the “Zone of Special Attention.”
His work “Those on the Ground” is considered the first Ukrainian erotic book. Other texts by the author were written in the same spirit: “The Defense Games”, “The Beautiful Hour”, “The Anatomy of Sin”. I am sure that they will appeal to a wide audience.
THINGS WORTH READING: "Defended Games" , "Beautiful Hour" , "Anatomy of Sin" .
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Due to the annexation of Crimea and the war in the east of the country, the world finally learned that Ukraine is not part of Russia. However, identifying our country only with war (or borscht or beautiful girls) cannot be called positive. Ukraine has a rich culture and talented writers recognized abroad.
Tells about Ukrainian writers whose books are translated and published abroad.
Vasily Shklyar
The name of Vasily Shklyar is well known in Ukraine and abroad, and his works become bestsellers. He is well versed in Ukrainian history, and the heroes of his novels are often rebels who fight for the independence of Ukraine.
In 2013, the London publishing house Aventura E books, which had not previously published Slavic literature, published English translation popular novel by Vasily Shklyar "Black Raven". The Ukrainian bestseller tells the story of the struggle of Ukrainian rebels against Soviet power in Kholodny Yar in the 1920s.
The same novel by the writer has been translated into Slovak and Portuguese, and it was published in Portuguese in Brazil. Shklyar’s fans also read the equally famous novel “The Key” in Swedish and Armenian.
Maria Matios
The works of Maria Matios have repeatedly become the “Air Force Book of the Year” and brought the writer other awards. The author of many novels and collections of poetry is one of the best-selling writers in Ukraine.
Her works are widely represented in the world. For example, the popular novel “Licorice Darusya” about the fate of people disfigured by the occupation of Western Ukraine by Soviet troops, was published in 7 languages. It is read in Polish, Russian, Croatian, German, Lithuanian, French and Italian. And soon it will be released in English and Serbian.
The family saga “Maizhe nikoli ne navpaki” was published in English in the UK in 2012. And 2 years before that, the English version of the novel was published by another publisher in Australia. The Australian publishing house published the stories "Moskalitsa" and "Mama Maritsa", as well as the short story "Apocalypse". By the way, this novella has been translated into Hebrew, German, French, Russian, Azerbaijani and Armenian.
The novel "Cherevichki" Mother of God"was published in Russian and German. And the collection "Nation" can also be found in Poland.
Evgenia Kononenko
Writer and translator Evgenia Kononenko writes simply and realistically about what is familiar to everyone. Therefore, her short and large prose captivates readers around the world.
Kononenko is the author of poems, short stories and essays, novellas and novels, children's books, literary translations and the like. Evgenia Kononenko's short prose can be found in English, German, French, Croatian, Finnish, Czech, Russian, Polish, Belarusian and Japanese.
Almost all anthologies of modern Ukrainian literature, translated and published abroad, contain works by Evgenia Kononenko. Some of them even received names of the same name as the works of the writer included in them.
Andrey Kurkov
One can argue endlessly about whether a Russian-speaking person can be a Ukrainian writer. A similar discussion begins when the conversation turns to Andrei Kurkov.
He is the author of more than 20 books, including adult novels and fairy tales for children. All of them are written in Russian, except one for children, “The Little Lion Cub and the Lviv Mouse.” However, Kurkov himself considers himself a Ukrainian writer, which is confirmed by his political position, and my own creativity.
Andrei Kurkov's books have been translated into 36 languages. Most of the translations are in German. They were carried out for Austria, Germany, Switzerland. A large number of works have been translated into French, English and Ukrainian.
In 2011, his novel “Picnic on Ice” became the first Ukrainian book translated into Thai. In total, this novel has been translated into 32 languages.
And in 2015, his “Maidan Diary” was published on Japanese. The course of events of the Revolution The virtues, reflections and emotions of Andrei Kurkov during the socio-political shifts of the winter of 2013-2014 have also been translated into Estonian, German, French and English.
Oksana Zabuzhko
The popular Ukrainian writer and intellectual is one of those with whom the emergence of modern Ukrainian literature in the international arena is associated. The works of Oksana Zabuzhko are taken for their psychological nature, depth, criticality, and some fiction novels- shockingness.
Oksana Zabuzhko’s work is diverse: she is both an expert on Ukrainian history and a master of feminist prose. It is not surprising that her books are also interesting to foreign readers.
The writer's works have been translated into more than 20 languages. They were published as separate books in Austria, Bulgaria, Italy, Iran, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Russia, Romania, Serbia, USA, Hungary, France, Croatia, Czech Republic, Sweden. Theater directors in Europe and the USA stage performances based on Zabuzhko’s works.
Sergey Zhadan
The author of the popular novels “Voroshilovgrad”, “Mesopotamia”, “Depeche Mode” and many poetry collections in Ukraine is no less known abroad. His work is sincere and truthful, his speech is often not devoid of witty words and irony.
One of Zhadan’s most successful novels, “Voroshilovgrad,” was published, in addition to Ukraine, in Germany, Russia, Hungary, Poland, France, Belarus, Italy, Latvia and the USA. “Mesopotamia”, “Anthem of Democratic Youth”, “Suicide Percentage among Clowns” and the like were also published in Polish and German.
Read also: Sergey Zhadan: Many people forget that Donetsk and Lugansk had their own Maidans
In general, Sergei Zhadan’s texts have also been translated into English, Swedish, Italian, Hungarian, Serbian, Croatian, Czech, Lithuanian, Belarusian, Russian, and Armenian.
Irene Rozdobudko
One of the most popular modern women writers, journalist and screenwriter Irene Rozdobudko is the author of almost 30 works of art. She is among the top 10 writers who are most published in Ukraine. Three times won the prestigious literary competition“The Coronation of the Word,” and her novels are often filmed.
TV series and films "Button", "Autumn Flowers", " Mysterious Island" and "The Trap" were filmed based on her scripts. Interestingly, Irene Rozdobudko also had a hand in writing the script for "The Guide" by Oles Sanin (who fought, albeit unsuccessfully, for an Oscar in 2015).
The Dutch-English publishing house Glagoslav, which translated the book by Maria Matios, then, in 2012, published English novel Irene Rozdobudko "Button".
Larisa Denisenko
The same Dutch-English publishing house also received the rights to Larisa Denisenko’s novel Sarabande of Sarah’s Gang. The novel is a shining example mass literature.
The light and relaxed work tells the story of people who, at a certain stage, are forced to live together. Therefore, the book contains love, frank conversations, and everyday situations that can make you look at life differently.
Lyubko Deresh
Ukrainian literary prodigy Lyubko Deresh made his debut with the novel “Cult” when he was 17 years old. By the way, this particular novel was published, in addition to Ukraine, in Serbia, Bulgaria, Poland, Germany, Italy and France.
The writer himself defines the novel as fantasy. However, "Cult" is a more gothic city.
Yuri Andrukhovich
The name of Yuri Andrukhovych is associated with the first facts of interest in modern Ukrainian literature in the West. One of the founders of the poetry group Bu-Ba-Bu Andrukhovich is the author of novels, short stories, poetry collections and essays.
Western critics identify Andrukhovych as one of the most prominent representatives of postmodernism. His works have been translated into many European languages, in particular, the somewhat crazy novel “Perversion” was published in Germany and Poland.
Andruchovic's novels, short stories and essays have been translated into Polish, English, German, French, Russian, Hungarian, Finnish, Swedish, Spanish, Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Serbian and Esperanto. They are sold as separate books in Poland, Germany, Canada, Hungary, Finland and Croatia.
Yuri Vinnichuk
Yuri Vinnichuk is called the father of black humor and a hoaxer due to his penchant for fiction mysterious stories for your novels. In his prose, the Galician writer usually mixes elements of adventure, love, historical and modern novels.
His works were published in England, Argentina, Belarus, Canada, Germany, Poland, Serbia, USA, France, Croatia, and the Czech Republic. In particular, Tango of Death, published in 2012, became one of the most popular novels.
Taras Prokhasko
Taras Prokhasko primarily writes for adults, but his children's book "Who Will Make the Snow", created in collaboration with Maryana Prokhasko, has attracted the interest of readers abroad. A few years ago it came out in Korean.
"Who Makes the Snow" is an instructive story about little babies, friendship and mutual assistance, care and homeliness, and also about who really makes the snow.
His works have been translated into Polish, German, English and Russian. One of the most popular is the novel “Difficult”. It reveals another mythology of the Carpathians in the first half of the 20th century. In Prohasko, the Carpathians are not only an authentic territory, but also an area open to other cultures.
Irena Karpa
The outrageous Irena Karpa is known to the Western world not only for her creativity. Since October 2015, he has been the first secretary for cultural affairs of the Ukrainian Embassy in France.
Readers perceive Irena Karpa's work ambiguously. This is evidenced by various ratings and awards: for example, the book “Good and Evil” received both a literary anti-award and a place in the top ten best Ukrainian books of the year.
However, Karpa’s works are published abroad. The novels “Freud Would Weep” and “50 Minutes of Grass” were translated into Polish, and “Pearl Porn” was published in Czech, Russian and Bulgarian.
Valery Shevchuk
Valery Shevchuk is a living classic of Ukrainian literature. A master of psychological prose, he is a representative of the sixties.
His creativity is historical novels, and prose about modern life, as well as literary works. Many of his works have been translated into English. One of the most famous of them is the novel "The Eye of the Abyss". This is a historical-mystical dystopia, the events of which unfold in the 16th century. But in the totalitarian regime that the author describes, it is easy to identify the USSR.
Andrey Lyubka
Lyubka is one of the most successful Ukrainian novelists and poets. The 29-year-old native of Latvia writes poetry, essays, stories and novels in Ukrainian.
Some of his poems have been translated into English, German, Serbian, Portuguese, Russian, Belarusian, Czech and Polish. In addition, his collection of short stories “Killer. Collection of Stories” was published in separate translations by the Polish publishing house Biuro literackie and a collection of poems by the Austrian publishing house BAES.