In a Kyiv subway station, June 3. Image – Getty: Artem Hvozdkov
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
Baturevych: ‘The Momentum Continues’
As what’s described as “a broader effort to make Ukrainian literature more accessible worldwide,” a group of agencies have joined Chytomo—the country’s publishing-industry medium—and Craft magazine to offer “comprehensive information about Ukrainian books available in translation.- You can see an English edition of Chapter Ukraine here.
- There’s a Spanish edition of Chapter Ukraine here.
- And there’s a German edition of Chapter Ukraine here.
Partnerships and contributors engaged in the Chapter Ukraine effort include Snig.Digital and Kavi Agency on Web design, and institutional participation from the Ukrainian Book Institute; PEN Ukraine; UNWLA; and Razom for Ukraine. The program includes a video guide, although at this writing, that’s blocked from our efforts to see it.
Initially, the focus has been on the United States’ English-language audience, the home of a volunteer communications campaign to support the effort. That advocacy is calibrated “to raise awareness among international readers and expand the presence of Ukrainian books on library and bookstore shelves” at international scale.
Iryna Baturevych
“It focuses on professional communities, media, and cultural institutions,” the program’s media messaging says, “to strengthen the visibility of Ukrainian authors in translation and to stimulate demand for new works. Alongside work with professional networks and institutions, the initiative calls on individuals to take part by encouraging their local libraries and bookstores to feature Ukrainian titles, helping the books reach new audiences.”
At Chytomo, development director Iryna Baturevych says, “We keep a close eye on new translations of Ukrainian books abroad. After the launch of Translate Ukraine and House of Europe grants, the number of translations skyrocketed, so much that in 2023, journalists called it a breakthrough.
“The momentum continues,” she says. “In just the first half of this year, more books have appeared in translation than in that entire ‘breakthrough’ year of 2023. But these books still need support to be noticed, so we’re looking for ambassadors of Ukrainian literature to support their favorite books abroad. And there’s plenty to choose from.”
Kateryna Kazimirova
At Craft NGO, Kateryna Kazimirova says, “Our goal was to create an accessible, practical tool to enable international libraries, bookstores, and cultural institutions to discover Ukrainian literature in translation.
“Together with our team and partners, we developed Chapter Ukraine as a single source for anyone interested in Ukrainian books, whether inside Ukraine or abroad.
“With the share function, users can create personalized lists and send requests directly to libraries or bookstores. The next stage of the platform is to include integration with library and distribution services, showing where titles are already available for purchase or reading and making the process even easier for everyone involved.”
The team behind Chapter Ukraine invites proposals and inquiries via chytomo@gmail.com.
A Programming Note
At Frankfurter Buchmesse (October 15 to 19), representatives of Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Turkiye, and Ukraine are scheduled to be involved in Black Sea Speaks Freedom: The Democracy of the Words, with speakers (in English) including International Publishers Association (IPA) president Gvantsa Jobava and Sofia’s palace of culture director Svetlozar Zhelev.
2 to 2:50 p.m., October 15
Hall 4.1, F79
Image: Chapter Ukraine
At Frankfurter Buchmesse, you’ll find the Ukrainian Book Institute in Hall 4.1, at Stand F79.
More from Publishing Perspectives on the Ukrainian market and Russia’s war on Ukraine is here, more on the freedom to publish and the freedom of expression is here.
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