WRITING FROM UKRAINE

Mark Andryczyk administers the Ukrainian Studies Program at the Harriman Institute Columbia University and teaches Ukrainian literature at its Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures. He has a PhD in Ukrainian Literature from the University of Toronto.Some of the liveliest and most moving literature in the world is also some of the least known in English. So blessings on editor and translator Mark Andryczyk and the team of expert and eloquent translators he has assembled for bringing us this abundant new anthology of poetry and fiction from Ukraine of the Soviet and postSoviet periods. Its a great public service to enlarge our acquaintance with this indispensable work an act of moral generosity. But what the reader will be most grateful for is the sheer pleasure of it.A rich and dramatic anthology that covers predominantly the postindependence period of Ukrainian literature bringing together writers from a host of generations and genres. From authors whose work has become synonymous with Ukraines modernday cultural revival such as Yuri Andrukhovych Victor Neborak and Yuri Vynnychuk to an array of new voices representing the emerging literary vanguard this masterfully translated lucid and engaging selection showcases the extraordinary power vitality and diversity of writing in contemporary Ukraine.When it comes to writing freedom is often assumed to mean the freedom to write on political themes without fear of state reprisal. In the formerly Communist countries of Europe however the freedom not to write on political themes can be just as meaningful. These fifteen authors bring us stirring reflections on nature hilarious morningafter surprises touching spiritual insights rich family histories computers and snowy mountains and gay bars and slag heaps.A selection of fifteen of Ukraines most important dynamic and entertaining contemporary writersUnder USSR rule the subject matter and style of literary expression in Ukraine was strictly controlled and censored. But once Ukraine gained independence in 1991 its literary scene flourished as the moving and delightful poems essays and extracts collected here show. There are fifteen authors included in this book both established and emerging and in this anthology we see them grappling with history and the future with big questions and small moments. From essays about Chernobyl to poetry about Robbie Williams from fiction discussing Jimmy Hendrix live in Lviv to underground Ukrainian poetry of the Soviet era WRITING FROM UKRAINE offers a unique window into a rich culture a chance to experience a particularly Ukrainian sensibility and to celebrate Ukraines nationhood as told by its writers.GB