BBC Ukrainian Book Awards launch in Lviv
The BBC has announced the launch of its annual literary prize for the best works of fiction in the Ukrainian language – BBC Book of the Year and BBC Children’s Book of the Year - in partnership with the Cultural Programme of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
Published: 16 September 2016
The BBC Ukrainian Book Awards are now even more representative of Ukraine’s literary talent. We are looking forward to new discoveries.
From this year, the awards will also consider translations of books by Ukrainian authors writing in all languages of Ukraine.
BBC Ukrainian Editor, Nina Kuryata, says: “The BBC Ukrainian Book Awards are now even more representative of Ukraine’s literary talent. We are looking forward to new discoveries.”
Following a long-established tradition, this year’s Book of the Year selection starts at the annual International Book Fair and Literature Festival in Lviv, Ukraine, where BBC Ukrainian hosted a round-table discussion asking if print publications will survive the digital age.
Since 2012, the awards have been presented in partnership with the Cultural Programme of the EBRD.
Svitlana Pyrkalo, EBRD Cultural Advisor, says: “The BBC Book of the Year awards play a unique role in the Ukrainian publishing industry, drawing readers’ attention to high-quality, often complex and challenging, books, sometimes by virtually unknown writers. This year, we will be searching for exciting voices originating from all of Ukraine’s many languages.”
The BBC Book of the Year awards will be judged by:
- Vira Ageyeva, professor, Ukraine National University “Kiev-Mohyla Academy”
- Olga Gerasymiuk, journalist
- Andrei Kurkov, writer
- Svitlana Pyrkalo, EBRD Cultural Advisor
- Marta Shokalo, BBC Ukrainian
The winning author in each category will be awarded a Ukrainian hryvnya equivalent of £1,000. The publishers of the BBC Book of the Year and BBC Children’s Book of the Year 2016 will have the right to use the logos of the BBC Ukrainian book awards on subsequent editions.
Publishers can submit up to three books in each category, and up to two new books by previous winners. Submitted books must be works of fiction in the Ukrainian language (original works or translations), published within the last 12 months. For detailed terms and conditions, go to bbc.ua.
The long-lists in each category are selected by the BBC Ukrainian team. The panel selects shortlists and winners.
The deadline for nominations is 1 October 2016. The winner will be announced in December 2016.
Last year’s winners were: “The House by Bating Hallow” by Vasyl Makhno - BBC Book of the Year; and Andriy Bachynsky’s “140 Decibels of Silence” - BBC Children’s Book of the Year.
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Notes to editors
The BBC Ukrainian - BBC Україна - website bbc.ua brings news stories, reports and features, picture galleries as well as audio and video content delivered by its journalists in Ukraine, Russia and the UK, as well as the BBC’s unparalleled global newsgathering operation. The Special Projects index on bbc.ua features BBC Ukrainian’s editorial initiatives and special reports, while the dedicated index, Ukraine, offers news and information focusing on the country. Major, quickly developing events are covered on Live pages which reflect news updates in real time.
The EBRD is an international financial institution that supports the development of market economies and democracies in 34 countries from Morocco to Mongolia. The EBRD’s Cultural Programme showcases the arts and cultural traditions of the region where the Bank operates.
