PEN Ukraine and Sensor Media compiled the list of 100 books to help understand Ukraine

The list emerges as a response to many requests from foreign libraries, publishing houses, embassies, and institutions that would like to share knowledge about Ukraine with their audiences

100 books from Ukraine or about Ukraine are presented in this selection. They were all published after 1991, were written in different genres, and communicate a wide range of topics. They each represent Ukrainian identity in their own way. The list focuses on English, German and French translations.

PEN and Sensor emphasize that many important and high-quality works have appeared on the global market in the years of independence. It would be impossible to cover all of them in a single review. The non-governmental organization and media compiled a list of books they would like their friends and partners to read. It emerges as a response to many requests from foreign libraries, publishing houses, embassies, and institutions that would like to share knowledge about Ukraine with their audiences. In future authors intend to expand the list of titles and to pass the translations into other languages.

The list includes nonfiction (history, politics, culture), fiction (prose and poetry) and children’s literature. The material was prepared by Yuliia Kolisnyk, Sensor Media journalist, translated from Ukrainian into English by Anna Vovchenko and copy edited by Christopher Atwood.

The list of 100 books to help understand Ukraine is available on the website of PEN Ukraine in English and Ukrainian and on the Sensor Media website in Ukrainian language. There are 20 books about history and politics, 23 nonfiction books about culture, 29 fiction books, 11 poetry collections, and 17 children’s books.