Author: peterson admin

Bogdan Logvynenko – Author
Ukraїner — Publisher

The importance and timeliness of this book lie in the opportunity to give a voice to the people who survived the Russian occupation. In the foreword, human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk writes, “It often lacks resonance against the backdrop of statements by politicians who suggest handing over the occupied territories to the aggressor country and satisfying its imperial appetites. The voice of the survivors makes such appeals immoral.”

Each story has its own narrator, people who agreed to describe their experiences. Alongside the eyewitness accounts of shelling, torture, and atrocities committed by the occupiers against civilians, there are life-affirming stories about saving an old oak tree, resistance to the Russians, and happy moments of liberation. After all, as one of the book’s heroes said, “We hear cannonades, but my heart is calm: these are Ukrainians.”

”De-occupation” differs visually from the rest of our books by the publishing house, as the photographs in it are in black and white and carry an additional emotional impact. At the same time, this makes the book more affordable for the general public. The publication is part of a multimedia project, so all the photos can be viewed in colour on the website, and you can also watch videos from the expedition if you like.

The book’s title and headings are set in the Volja font by Ukrainian type designer and graphic arts researcher Marcela Mozhyna. She created it as a tribute to the work of Nil Khasevych, a famous graphic artist of the mid-20th century who is considered the chief artist of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.

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Yaroslav Trofimov – Author

Penguin Adult / Penguin Press (imprint) — Publisher

Our Enemies Will Vanish is a revelatory eyewitness account of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the heroism of the Ukrainian people in their resistance, written by Yaroslav Trofimov, the chief foreign-affairs correspondent for The Wall Street Journal.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Yaroslav Trofimov has spent months on end at the heart of the conflict, very often on its front lines. In this authoritative account, he traces the war’s decisive moments—from the battle for Kyiv to more recently the gruelling and bloody arm wrestle involving the Wagner group over Bakhmut—to show how Ukraine and its allies have turned the tide against Russia, one of the world’s great military powers, in a modern-day battle of David and Goliath. Putin had intended to conquer and annex Ukraine with a vicious blitzkrieg, redrawing the map of Europe in a few short weeks with seismic geopolitical consequences. But in the face of this existential threat, the Ukrainian people fought back, turning what looked like certain defeat into a great moral victory, even as the territorial battle continues to see-saw to this day. This is the story of the epic bravery of the Ukrainian people—people Trofimov knows very well.

For Trofimov, this war is deeply personal. He grew up in Kyiv, and his family has lived there for generations. With deep empathy and local understanding, Trofimov tells the story of how everyday Ukrainian citizens—doctors, computer programmers, businesspeople, and schoolteachers—risked their lives and lost loved ones. He blends their brave and tragic stories with expert military analysis, providing unique insight into the thinking of Ukrainian leadership and mapping out the decisive stages of what has become a perilous war for Ukraine, the Putin regime, and indeed, the world.

This brutal, catastrophic struggle is unfolding on another continent, but the United States and its NATO allies have become deeply implicated. As the war drags on, it threatens to engulf the world. We cannot look away. At once heartbreaking and inspiring, Our Enemies Will Vanish is a riveting, vivid, and firsthand account of the Ukrainian refusal to surrender. It is the story of ordinary people fighting not just for their homes and their families but for justice and democracy itself.

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Myroslav Laiuk – Author

Ukraїner — Publisher

During the most intense fighting for Bakhmut in the winter and in March 2023, the author spent days and nights with Ukrainian infantrymen and artillerymen, medics and chaplains, rescuers and children who remained in the city and its surroundings, where artillery shelling and street battles were a constant. It’s a story about the anti-aircraft gunner who has just shot down a Russian fighter jet, father and sons fighting side by side, and a member of Wagner who cherishes Nabokov. It’s a journey to places where dogs feast on the dead, where you are petrified by fear and desolation but also stunned with courage, resilience and even love. There, you see everything with a clarity as sharp as that from new spectacles. This vividness begs a question of whether there is room for nuance. Or is the pursuit of nuance merely the privilege of those who don’t fight for their very life and existence here and now? But also, whether the survivors are obliged to pursue this nuance? In his stories, the author opts for the fixation method, «photographing» with the text. The word «fixation» will be used in different meanings throughout the text. «Blending a poet’s skill with committed war reporting, Myroslav Laiuk illuminates the details, images, and personalities of war the way only a poet can. He re-discovers Ukraine for the reader, making the neglected loved.»

Peter Pomerantsev, British journalist and writer, author of the books «Nothing Is True, and Everything Is Possible» and «This is not Propaganda.»
«Each participant in the war forges their own path. Frequently, these paths are off-road, marred by potholes and rough asphalt. Myroslav has succeeded in gathering and conveying the profound anguish embedded in the stories of each of his characters. It is through books like this that entire generations will come to understand the monumental struggles of the Ukrainian armed forces.»

Evgeniy Maloletka, Associated Press photojournalist, Pulitzer Prize winner

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Mikhail Zygar – Author

SIMON & SCHUSTER (Scribner imprint) — Publisher

From one of Russia’s smartest and best-sourced young journalists comes the first work by a Russian author that reveals his country’s history of oppressing Ukraine, blames Russian culture for the war, and dismantles the imperial narrative that Putin used to justify a brutal invasion.

As soon as Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, independent Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar circulated a petition that was signed first by prominent Russian writers, artists, and filmmakers, and then by thousands of others. Russian soon enacted strict new censorship laws, and Zygar was forced to leave his country. In his time as a journalist, he has interviewed Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and has had access to many of the major players in both countries, from ploticians to oligarchs. As an expert on Vladimir Putin’s behavior, he has spent years studying the Kremlin’s plan for Ukraine, and here, in clear, chronological order, he explains the nationalist myths and legends Russia has exploited to justify savagely invading its independent neighboring country.

Drawing on literature, formal histories, and his own reporting, Zygar details Ukraine’s rise to nationhood, from its ancient origins as a culturally and politically distinct region, often in direct conflict with Moscow, to a Soviet-controlled state that suffered terribly at the hands of Nazi soldiers in World War II and, before that, from Stalin’s forced-starvation policies in the 1930’s. Following the fall of the USSR, Ukraine emerged first as a post-Soviet oligarchic state and then as a progressive nation with increasing economic, cultural, and political ties to Europe and the US.

Of particular note is Zygar’s step-by-step account of the rise of Zelensky as a popular comic and television personality to a resolute symbol of Ukraine’s resistance to Russia’s invasion. Zelensky’s ascent came as new generation of Ukrainians, having grown up in an independent country, did not consider themselves to be part of Russia — a tipping point that led to war, as Putin could not tolerate losing Ukraine forever.

Authoritative and timely, this vital account is an unprecedented historical overview of the war that affects us all and continues to threaten the future of the entire world as we know it.

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Luke Harding – Author

Faber & Faber – Publisher

The first book of reportage from the front line of the Ukraine war. This is a powerful and moving first draft of history written by the award-winning Guardian journalist and #1 New York Times bestselling author of Collusion and Shadow State, who forecast Putin’s dark adventurist ambitions.

Shortlisted for the 2023 Orwell Prize Journalism Book of the Year 2023 in Ukraine

For months, the omens had pointed in one scarcely believable direction: Russia was about to invade Ukraine. And yet, the world was stunned by the epochal scale of the assault that began in February 2022. It was an attempt by one nation to devour another.

Invasion is Luke Harding’s compelling chronicle of the war that changed everything. For this breathtaking work of reportage, he spent months reporting on the ground during the build-up to the conflict and afterward; his book tells of the initial days of shock and panic, the grim reality of this ongoing war, and the unheard human stories behind the headlines. Invasion also offers insightful portraits of the war’s two great personalities. One, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, is an actor-turned-president who rallied support on a global stage. The other, Vladimir Putin, is a dictator who dwells in a strange and unreachable realm. Harding examines the ideological, religious and personal reasons behind Putin’s decision to invade. And he confronts a crucial question: which side will prevail in this terrible war?

With the ripple effects of the largest armed conflict in Europe since 1945 already being felt beyond Ukraine and Russia’s borders, it is more vital than ever to understand how the situation on the front line will have profound effects for us all. Written in Luke Harding’s starkly transfixing style, Invasion makes for essential reading.

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August 27, 2024

TORONTO, NEW YORK, WASHINGTON, LONDON, KYIV. The Peterson Literary Fund at BCU Foundation has announced six books shortlisted for the 2024 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 November 30, 2024, in Toronto.

According to Lisa Shymko, Jury Chair, “As a result of Russia’s brutal and unprovoked war on Ukraine, we have seen an unprecedented number of outstanding books published on topics related to Ukraine, its resistance, and its place on the global stage. Consistent with our founding benefactor’s vision, the Jury has chosen books that dismantle Russian imperialist narratives and also meet the diverse tastes of an international audience of readers.” 

The shortlist was selected by the 2024 Peterson Literary Fund Jury: Lisa Shymko (Jury Chair), Nadia Gereliouk (Toronto), Askold Krushelnycky (London-Washington-Kyiv), Alexander Motyl (New York), and Marko R. Stech (Toronto). 

2024 Peterson Literary Prize Shortlist of Finalists:

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. 

Launched in 2021, the fund oversees an international literary prize, several translated book awards, as well as grants for writers, translators, and publishers. 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.

Click to watch last year’s awards gala keynote speaker, author and journalist Anne Applebaum.     

Subscribe to the Peterson Literary Fund’s new YouTube channel.

For more information about the fund, visit PetersonLiteraryFund.com  

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

Frank Sysyn graduated from Princeton University (1968), the University of London (1969), and Harvard University (PH D, 1976), taught at Harvard University (1976–1985), and served as Associate Director of the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute (1985–1988).

He is a professor in the Department of History, Classics, and Religious Studies at the University of Alberta.

Frank Sysyn was appointed the first Director of the Peter Jacyk Centre for Ukrainian Historical Research in 1989 at the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS), the University of Alberta.

He has served as editor-in-chief of the Hrushevsky Translation Project, which published the English-language translation of Mykhailo Hrushevsky’s monumental 10-volume history of Ukraine — Istoriia Ukraïny-Rusy (History of Ukraine-Rus’).

He served as Acting Director of the CIUS in 1991–93 and currently oversees the Toronto office of the Institute. He serves as the head of the executive committee of the Holodomor Research and Educational Consortium. He has also been actively engaged in the development of the Ukrainian Studies Program at the Harriman Institute of Columbia University in New York.

A specialist on early modern and modern Ukraine, Sysyn has published Between Poland and the Ukraine: The Dilemma of Adam Kysil, 1600–1653 (1985), Mykhailo Hrushevsky: Historian and National Awakener (2001), and numerous articles about the Khmelnytsky Uprising, early-modern Ukrainian historiography, Ukrainian religious history, and the Stalin-era forced famine in Ukraine, the Holodomor.

Frank Sysyn was one of the editors of the three-volume edition of the collected works of Mykhailo Zubrytsky, Zibrani tvory i materialy (Collected Works and Materials).

A Festschrift, titled Tentorium Honororum, was published in Frank Sysyn’s honor in 2010.

The Torture Camp on Paradise Street

Stanislav Aseyev – Author
Zenia Tompkins, Nina Murray – Translators

Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute – Publisher

“In recognition of this personal memoir that not only testifies to the human rights violations committed by the Russian Federation, but also exposes the truth behind the existence of unofficial prisons, illegal deprivation of liberty, and torture carried out by the occupier in the city of Donetsk.”

The book chronicles journalist Stanislav Aseyev’s first-hand experience in a modern-day concentration camp overseen by the Federal Security Bureau of the Russian Federation (FSB). In the two years of his illegal imprisonment in an industrial factory called Izoliatsia, Aseyev and his fellow inmates have endured horrific psychological and physical abuse, torture, denigration, endless fear, and agony. This is a story of an individual who is vulnerable to the arbitrariness of, first and foremost, armed criminals, a story of survival in a place where all mechanisms of civilized humanity no longer function, and a story of hope to remain human in the most inhuman conditions. The captivity forever altered the author’s outlook on life, yet it did not leave him helpless or defeated.

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The Extraordinary Lives of Ukrainian Canadian Women:
Oral Histories of the Twentieth Century

Iroida Wynnyckyj – Editor
Marta Olynyk – Translator

Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies Press – Publisher

“Recognized for its archival value in providing historians with multigenerational testimonies of Ukrainian Canadian women whose personal stories were shaped by the tumultuous events of two world wars.”

This collection of life stories recounted by ten Ukrainian Canadian women who lived through the turbulence of the First World War and horrors of the Second World War, later settling in Canada, provides insight into the plight of a stateless people caught between two totalitarian regimes.

Its value to historians, scholars, and researchers lies in the human dimension of these first-hand accounts, with all their emotions, deep-seated memories, and historical biases. It is a snapshot into the past and a reminder of how far Eastern and Central European communities have come to heal the deep wounds of war. And in many ways, the testimonies are a lesson in how powerlessness, disaffection, and the backdrop of war can breed prejudice, conflict, and human tragedy, while at the same time underscoring the often-elusive acts of human decency and triumph of hope.

Awards Archive

The Voices of Babyn Yar

Marianna Kiyanovska – Author
Oksana Maksymchuk, Max Rosochinsky – Translators

Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute – Publisher

“In recognition of its masterful use of poetry to convey the unspeakable crimes committed at Babyn Yar, using a first-person perspective of Jewish voices to raise painful questions related to memory and responsibility.”

As one reviewer wrote, Babyn Yar is a part of Ukrainian history regardless of whether ethnic Ukrainians are buried there or not. Victims and their pain have no nationality—the same way crimes don’t have one. In this sense, The Voices of Babyn Yar is an attempt to hear these voices and comprehend the future through the past —today’s war through the previous war. The poems are an attempt to overcome hate speech by creating a supra-national language of the victim. 

Recently, the Polish translation of Voices of Babyn Yar earned author Marianna Kiyanovska the European Poet of Freedom Literary Award. It is the English translation of this moving collection of poems that earned the book its Peterson Literary Fund 2023 Translated Book Award.

Awards Archive