The literary works of 15 Ukrainian writers were translated into English and published in the U.S.

According to gazeta.ua:

“Ukrainian literature is one of the most living and thriving in the world, but at the same time it is the least known to English-speaking readers.  The anthology includes works from both the Soviet and post-Soviet period. The authors of the anthology are from different regions of Ukraine. “This shows the cultural diversity of Ukraine,” American poet and critic Lloyd Schwartz said about the collection.

The anthology was arranged by Marko Andreychyk who teaches Ukrainian literature at Columbia University in New York.

Over 10 years Ukrainian writers were invited to New York and Washington.  They took part in meetings and discussions, during which writers read their literary pieces for students. Their compositions were translated into English so the audience could understand them. A lot of texts have been accumulated over the period of existence of the project.  So, it was decided to publish them in an anthology”- , Marko Andreychyk tells.

Besides writers, the musician Taras Chyubai came to the U.S. to perform.  He sang songs to verses of his father Taras Chyubai and Oleh Lysheha. So, the verses were also included in the anthology. Among the pieces there is an essay by Yuriy Andrukhovych, which is dedicated to the anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster.  Americans associate Chornobyl with Ukraine.  A fragment from he novel by Andriy Kurkov  “Lviv Tour of Jimi Hendrix” was also published in the anthology.  Poetry about Donbas before and during the war by Lyubov Yakymchyuk was included in the anthology as well.   American literary experts highly appreciated the anthology.  They say that Ukrainian literature is quite divers, but it is very little known around the world” – Andreychyk added.

Funds to publish the book were allocated on the support of a U.S. State Grant.  The title of the anthology “The White Chalk of Days” became a line in the poem by Ivan Malkovych “The Evening Bucolic”.

Among the works included in the book are literary pieces by Maryana Savka, Viktor Neborak, Andriy Bondar, Serhiy Zhadan, Taras Prokhasko, Vasyl Abor, Yuriy Vynnychyuk, Oleksandr Boichenko and Sofia Andrukhovych.