Ukrainian Book Awards Highlight Literary Resilience Amidst War
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Table of Contents
Celebrating Literary Excellence
Yulia Ilyukha’s poignant novel,“My Women,” took home the prestigious BBC Book of the Year 2024 award. Her compelling work offers a moving exploration of the lives and deaths of women navigating the realities of war. Grasya Oliyko was awarded BBC Children’s Book of the Year 2024 for her uplifting collection “And this is not made up!”, providing a welcome dose of lighthearted stories for young readers and their families. The BBC Book of the Year: Essays 2024 award went to Yuriy Roketsky for “It’s all cool!”, a study of the influential ukrainian rock band, Serhiy Kuzminsky and Braty Hadiukiny. Roketsky’s work delves into the early days of Ukrainian rock music and its role as a powerful form of protest against totalitarian rule. Marta Shokalo, BBC News Ukraine editor and an awards panel member, eloquently summed up the meaning of this year’s winners: “Our three winners showcase the rich variety of issues explored by writers. Yulia Ilyukha’s poignant vignettes of souls,lives and deaths of women living through war conjure up indelible images. Grasya Oliyko’s collection of light-hearted stories offers kids and their parents a much-needed respite. Meanwhile Yuriy Roketsky’s study of a cult band harks back to the first days of Ukrainian rock music as a means of protest against totalitarianism.”Literature as a Bastion of Ukrainian Identity
The awards ceremony provided a powerful platform to celebrate the enduring strength of Ukrainian culture, notably in the face of ongoing conflict. British Ambassador to Ukraine, Martin harris, underscored the profound impact of literature during these challenging times. “For two decades the BBC Ukrainian service has been celebrating the very best in Ukrainian literature.Today, as Ukraine bravely defends its independence against Russia’s aggression, its literary scene is more dynamic than ever, telling the story of this great nation. My congratulations to the winners, and to all the poets, novelists, dramatists and writers who stage ukraine’s cultural resistance.”A Flourishing literary Landscape
Svitlana Pyrkalo, a writer and former BBC journalist, highlighted the remarkable growth and resilience of the Ukrainian literary world. pyrkalo, who co-founded the award 20 years ago, shared her observations: “Despite repeated destruction of printing presses by Russian missiles, we have seen submissions nearly double, since the full-scale invasion, to 150 new titles.Twenty years ago, sceptics were saying that there may not be sufficient new Ukrainian titles of high enough quality even for the short list. The very first award in 2005 proved them wrong. Today, judging this wealth of worthy books is more challenging than ever, but this is a great challenge to have.” The winners in each category received a prize of 1,000 Ukrainian hryvnias (equivalent to £1,000). Additionally, the publishers of the winning books are granted permission to display the BBC News Ukraine Book awards logo on subsequent editions. This year’s awards also recognized exemplary reader participation through the Reader of the Year 2024 title. Andrii Sholtes and Iryna Vlasenko were lauded for their insightful reviews of Pavlo “Pashtet” Belyansky’s “You can’t retreat from a fight” and Artem Chekh’s “Song of the open road” respectively, each receiving a kindle EBook as a prize. The esteemed judging panel consisted of: * Vira Ageyeva, professor, Ukraine National University “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy” * Vitaliy Chepynoha, blogger * Vitaly Chernetsky, professor, the University of Kansas * Svitlana Pyrkalo, writer * Marta Shokalo, BBC news Ukraine editor The BBC News Ukraine Book of the Year Awards stand as a testament to the enduring power of literature and its ability to unite, inspire, and reflect the essence of Ukrainian identity.## A Resounding Literary Echo: Interview with Svitlana Pyrkalo
**Q:** Svitlana,congratulations on the success of the 20th BBC News Ukraine Book of the Year Awards! As a co-founder,what are your most compelling reflections on its evolution over two decades?
**A:** Thank you! It’s astonishing to witness the awards’ growth. Twenty years ago, there were doubts about the viability of a Ukrainian literary prize, with some questioning the quality and quantity of submissions. We proved them wrong then, and today, the challenge is even greater – choosing from an abundance of excellent works. This year, we received nearly double the number of submissions compared to pre-war times.
**Q:**
that speaks volumes about the resilience of the Ukrainian literary scene. Can you elaborate on the importance of these awards, especially amid the current conflict?
**A:** Absolutely. Literature is a bastion of Ukrainian identity. Even in the face of unimaginable adversity, these books offer solace, reflection, and a powerful voice to our experiences.
**Q:** The awards celebrate a wide range of themes and genres. Can you highlight some notable trends you’ve observed in recent submissions?
**A:** This year’s winners beautifully showcase the diversity of Ukrainian voices. We have Yulia Ilyukha’s poignant portrayal of women’s lives during wartime, grasya Oliyko’s heartwarming stories for young readers, and Yuriy Roketsky’s exploration of Ukrainian rock music as a form of rebellion. It demonstrates the enduring spirit of creativity and the multifaceted nature of our cultural landscape.
## A Resounding Literary Echo: Interview with Svitlana Pyrkalo
**Q:** Svitlana, congratulations on the success of the 20th BBC News Ukraine Book of the Year Awards! As a co-founder, what are your most compelling reflections on its evolution over two decades?
**A:** Thank you! It’s amazing to witness the awards’ growth. Twenty years ago, there were doubts about the viability of a Ukrainian literary prize, with some questioning the quality and quantity of submissions. We proved them wrong then, and today, the challenge is even greater – choosing from an abundance of excellent works. This year, we received nearly double the number of submissions compared to pre-war times.
**Q:** That speaks volumes about the resilience of the Ukrainian literary scene. Can you elaborate on the importance of these awards, especially amid the current conflict?
**A:** Absolutely. literature is a bastion of Ukrainian identity. Even in the face of unimaginable adversity, these books offer solace, reflection, and a powerful voice to our experiences.
**Q:** The awards celebrate a wide range of themes and genres. Can you highlight some notable trends you’ve observed in recent submissions?
**A:** This year’s winners beautifully showcase the diversity of Ukrainian voices.We have Yulia Ilyukha’s poignant portrayal of women’s lives during wartime, Grasya Oliyko’s heartwarming stories for young readers, and Yuriy Roketsky’s exploration of Ukrainian rock music as a form of rebellion. It demonstrates the enduring spirit of creativity and the multifaceted nature of our cultural landscape.
**Q:**
We’re joined by **Yulia Ilyukha** and **Yuriy Roketsky**, this year’s winners of the BBC News Ukraine book of the Year# Awards. Congratulations! How does it feel to be recognized for your work, especially in these challenging times?
**Yulia Ilyukha:** It’s an astonishing honor to receive this award.My book, “My Women,” is deeply personal, reflecting the stories of women grappling with the realities of war. Being recognized means our voices are heard,our experiences validated,and that’s immensely powerful.
**Yuriy Roketsky:** Thank you! winning for “It’s all cool!”, a study of the influential Ukrainian rock band, Serhiy Kuzminsky and Braty Hadiukiny, is truly special. It highlights the enduring power of music as a force for expression, resistance, and cultural identity in Ukraine.
