Voices of Freedom. Contemporary Writing From Ukraine

Award-winning Ukrainian Writers featured in this riveting and evocative collection of prose, poetry, essays, and photos with foreword by Peter Pomerantsev

Voices of Freedom: Contemporary Writing from Ukraine is a collection of Ukrainian writing that aims to introduce the English-speaking world to 27 of the most iconic living writers whose work is shaping contemporary Ukraine. These are leading intellectuals and moral authorities for the Ukrainian people, whose voices and opinions have helped to synchronize the internal compasses of Ukrainian society in the struggle for the freedom of their country. Through poetry, short stories, and essays, this collection demonstrates that the desire for freedom and the struggle to achieve it is a theme that cuts across generations of Ukrainian writers, and is a central preoccupation of Ukrainian society.

This collection demonstrates the unique style and artistry of contemporary Ukrainian literature over the past 50 years. The curated poetry is an instant reaction to the events taking place today, which speaks directly to this current moment and the national psyche. The short stories sensitize readers to Ukraine's indivisible history and the present. These are accounts about the memory of generations, choices and transitions, self-irony, friendship, love, and the powerful significance of home. These stories and novellas represent a single continuous story showing the paths, lives, and values of the Ukrainian people who have amazed the world with their courage. The essays showcase the voices of contemporary Ukrainian intellectuals, providing analysis and reflection on what is happening in the present, showing historical connections and parallels, and shedding light on the origins and triggers of the war on the mental level.

The collection that follows is the story of Ukraine, in the voice of Ukrainians.

Proceeds from the sale of this collection will support the cultural community and humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.

«I hope you open this book, dear reader, because Ukraine is burning, and I hope you share what you find here with everyone you know, for the editors have gathered for us an anthology that is more than merely a literary compilation; it is a testament from a war zone. But I also hope you will realize, having read these Ukrainian writers, how incomparably talented they are: such memorable imagery collected herein, such inconsolable and yet somehow consoling music. And, above all, such unrelenting witness to atrocity expressed in a language that refuses to be silenced, a language that ensouls and sing with abandon and intensity of truth. I hope you will share the poems from this book with everyone you know, yes. I know I will»– Ilya Kaminsky, author of Deaf Republic.

«This superb anthology of Ukrainian writers delights us with talented writing across all genres and brings home what it means to be a Ukrainian on the frontlines of freedom. This rich offering helps every American better understand Ukraine: the people, the culture, and the country», – Marie Yovanovitch, author of an instant New York Times bestseller Lessons From The Edge: A Memoir; Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine.

«Voices of Freedom: Contemporary Writing From Ukraine is a brilliant introduction to a literary tradition long overlooked in America. By presenting a mosaic of perspectives, experiences, and forms, this volume showcases the depth, diversity, and resistance of the culture Putin seeks to erase. It’s hard to imagine a more politically urgent literary project», – Anthony Marra, the New York Times bestselling author of The Tsar of Love and Techno and A Constellation of Vital Phenomena.

«Defending Ukraine is not just the job of soldiers on the frontline. Writers, poets, publishers and artists also have their job to do and so this book is the right one at the right time. The more people abroad know Ukraine and understand it, the more they will understand why we need to stand in solidarity with it and with its people», – Tim Judah, British writer, reporter and political analyst for The Economist.

“Judiciously edited, Voices of Freedom offers a superb introduction to some of the most important writers to have emerged from post-independence Ukraine. Today, they also happen to be some of the most important writers in the world. “It is time for Ukraine to tell its story,” writes Kateryna Kazimirova. I’d say the telling is long overdue», – Askold Melnyczuk, American writer, founder of journal AGNI and Arrowsmith Press.

Voices of Freedom: Contemporary Writing From Ukraine (із передмовою Пітера Померанцева) — збірка українських творів, яка має на меті познайомити англомовний світ із деякими з найвідоміших сучасних письменників, чия творчість формує Україну сьогодення. Це провідні інтелектуалиа моральні авторитети українського народу, чиї голоси та думки допомогають синхронізувати внутрішні компаси українського суспільства в боротьбі за свободу своєї країни. Через вірші, оповідання та есеї ця збірка демонструє, що прагнення до свободи та боротьба за її досягнення є темою, яка пронизує покоління українських письменників і є фундаментальною цінністю українського суспільства.

У збірці представлені твори: Ігоря Калинця, Івана Малковича, Сергія Жадана, Оксани Забужко, Юрія Іздрика, Івана Андрусяка, Галини Крук, Ії Ківи, Олени Стяжкіної, Олени Герасим’юк, Світлани Поваляєвої та інших.

Переклади текстів антології здійснили 28 літературних перекладачів, серед яких Джон Геннессі, Остап Кінь, Амелія Ґлейзер, Борис Дралюк, Олена Дженінґз, Сібелан Форрестер та інші.

Першими читачами та рецензентами книги стали американські письменники Ентоні Марра, Ілля Камінський, Аскольд Мельничук, британський письменник і журналіст Тім Джуда та авторка New York Times бестселлера «Lessons From The Edge: A Memoir», посолка США в Україні (2016-2019) Марі Йованович.

«Ця чудова антологія українських письменників захоплює нас талановитими творами у різних жанрах і розповідає про те, що означає бути українцем на передовій свободи. Ця багата колекція допоможе кожному американцю краще зрозуміти Україну: людей, культуру та країну». – написала у своїй рецензії Марі Йованович.