Michael McFaul to Deliver Keynote at Peterson Literary Fund Awards Dinner

October 1, 2026

TORONTO— Michael McFaul, a New York Times bestselling author and former U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation, will deliver the keynote remarks at this year’s Peterson Literary Fund awards dinner on November 22, 2026. The event will welcome the five finalists for the 2026 Peterson Literary Prize for nonfiction and announce this year’s prize winner. For more information about this year’s finalists, see the earlier announcement.

McFaul served for five years in the Obama administration, first as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Russian and Eurasian Affairs at the National Security Council at the White House (2009–2012) and then as U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation (2012–2014). Ambassador McFaul has authored ten books, including his most recent, Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder (HarperCollins).

At Stanford University, McFaul is the Ken Olivier and Angela Nomellini Professor of International Studies, a Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and the Peter and Helen Bing Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution.

McFaul is the recipient of the Order of Merit, Third Degree from Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Order for Merits to Lithuania from President Gitanas Nausėda. McFaul earned his B.A. and M.A. at Stanford (1986) and completed his D.Phil. in International Relations at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar (1991). He appears regularly on television and is an international affairs analyst for MSNOW.

For Michael McFaul’s full biography, please see his official profile.

“We are honoured to welcome Ambassador McFaul to this year’s awards dinner. His deep understanding of authoritarian systems, democratic resilience, and the forces shaping the global information landscape speaks directly to the mission of the Peterson Literary Fund. Our work supports authors, translators, and publishers who confront disinformation and illuminate the realities of Russian aggression, and Ambassador McFaul’s insights strengthen and inspire that effort.”

Lisa Shymko, Jury Chair and Chief Administrator of the Peterson Literary Fund

Media Inquiries:

Peterson Literary Fund
Tel. (416) 763-7005

office@petersonliteraryfund.com

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September 28, 2026

TORONTO. The Peterson Literary Fund at BCU Foundation has announced the five finalists for the 2026 Peterson Literary Prize for nonfiction. The biennial international prize recognizes the best nonfiction books, written in English or Ukrainian, that promote a better understanding of Ukraine-related topics relevant to a global audience.

The Peterson Literary Prize is valued at $30,000 CAD. The winning author will receive a prize of $25,000 and an additional $5,000 will be awarded to the book’s publisher. Shortlisted finalists will each receive $5,000 CAD.

The winner will be announced at the Peterson Literary Fund’s annual awards ceremony and dinner on Sunday, November 22, 2026, in Toronto.

The awards gala guest keynote speaker will be announced on October 1, 2026.

The Five Finalists for the 2026 Peterson Literary Prize are:

Списки [Lists] – Myroslav Laiuk — **Списки [Lists]**
by Myroslav Laiuk (Ukraїner Publishing House, Ukraine)

The Living. Understanding Ukrainian Literature – Oleksandr and Pavlo Mykhed — **Живі. Зрозуміти українську літературу [The Living. Understanding Ukrainian Literature]**
by Oleksandr Mykhed, Pavlo Mykhed (Old Lion Publishing House, Ukraine)

David and Goliath – Serhii Plokhy — **David and Goliath: Commentaries on the Russo-Ukrainian War**
by Serhii Plokhy (Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute, USA)

Russia against Ukraine – Anton Shekhovtsov — **Russia against Ukraine: Russian Political Mythology and the War on Ukrainian Identity**
Edited by Anton Shekhovtsov (Ibidem Press, Germany)

Stalin’s Liquidation Game – Filip Slaveski, Yuri Shapoval — **Stalin’s Liquidation Game: The Unlikely Case of Oleksandr Shums’kyi, His Survival in Soviet Prison, and His Subsequent Arcane Assassination**
by Filip Slaveski, Yuri Shapoval (Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute, USA)

According to Lisa Shymko, Jury Chair & Fund Chief Administrator, “autocrats understand that the written word is mightier than the sword. As Putin expands his brutal war aimed at erasing Ukrainian identity, the deliberate destruction of Ukraine’s cultural institutions has become a vile obsession for the Kremlin. Russian drone strikes on book depots and distribution centres across Ukraine have now destroyed more than ten million volumes. That is why the mission of the Peterson Literary Fund is especially relevant. The Free World must act decisively to protect and promote fact-based books — the vital transmitters of truth and the universal pursuit of freedom.”

Finalists were chosen by the 2026 Peterson Literary Fund Jury: Lisa Shymko (Chair), Nadia Gereliouk, John Jaworsky, Alexander Motyl, and Marko R. Stech.

About the Peterson Literary Fund:

The Peterson Literary Fund was established by Canadian philanthropist Stanley Peterson, whose generosity and far-sighted vision created a literary fund with Ukrainian roots and a global reach. The Peterson Literary Fund operates under the auspices of the Toronto-based BCU Foundation.

The fund oversees an international literary prize, several translated book awards, grants for writers, translators, and publishers, as well as several fund-initiated programs. In accordance with the wishes of the Peterson Literary Fund’s late benefactor, the fund is managed by Canadian political scientist Lisa Shymko, who also serves as Jury Chair.

Prize winners are announced at the fund’s year-end awards ceremony held annually in Toronto.

For media inquiries, contact the Peterson Literary Fund: Tel. (416) 763-7005

Author: admin