Vogue Ukraine Presents a New Book of Contemporary Ukrainian Prose and Poetry
Ukrainian Vogue is releasing the second volume of its collectible edition Contemporary Ukrainian Prose and Poetry. It features new works by sixteen outstanding Ukrainian writers. The book is bilingual: all texts were written specifically for Vogue Ukraine in Ukrainian and translated into English.
How do we love in times of war? This is the central question explored in the second volume of Contemporary Ukrainian Prose and Poetry. The first volume, which was created in 2022, was filled with documentary testimonies of the early days of Russia’s invasion. In the second edition, the editorial team deliberately focuses on works that offer hope.
The stories in this book are not about escape but about coming closer; not about an abstract dream, but about the courage to admit: yes, the war has changed our lives, our way of thinking, our desires, our bodies, even our language. But we accept these changes and learn to live with them. And sometimes even allow ourselves to be happy (which is what makes Yevheniia Podоbna’s essay "Balancing on the Wreckage" so honest and powerful).
The volume brings some of the most distinguished names in contemporary Ukrainian literature: Yuriy Izdryk; Sophia Andrukhovych, Halyna Kruk, Artem Chekh. Alongside them are young talents, like 26‑year-old poet MishaHoncharenko, whose debut novel was published in the UK last year.
The prose and poetry in this edition speak of overwhelming love and the fragility of feelings; of loss and the need for silence and solitude; the search for identity; and the right to happiness when the world around is collapsing. The authors do not avoid being vulnerable and frank — they see it as the only possible way to speak of today and invite readers to do the same.
Three of the sixteen authors featured in this book are active military personnel: Artem Chekh, Serhiy Zhadan, and Artur Dron. Their stories and poetry are documents of the time and valuable testimonies of people who experience war up close and personal every day. The illustrations for the book were created by artist Mykola Tolmachev: his sensual watercolours in delicate pastel tones complement the texts — and become self-sufficient works of art.
This book is about allowing oneself to feel — and to love — in dark times. It is also about experiences that we all share.
The second volume of Contemporary Ukrainian Prose and Poetry is available for pre-order at shop.vogue.ua.
