Kateryna Kalytko and Anna Korshunova win the two prizes
BBC Ukrainian has announced the winners of its Book of the Year 2017 awards, presented in partnership with the Cultural Programme of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
The Land of the Lost, or The Little Terrible Tales (Земля загублених, або маленькі страшні казки) by Kateryna Kalytko was named the BBC Ukrainian Book of the Year 2017. Comp and Company (Комп і компанія) by Anna Korshunova won the Children’s Book of the Year.
Artyom Liss, Europe Region editor, BBC World Service, said: “The themes Kateryna Kalytko explores in her short stories are particularly relevant today, as the world appears increasingly divided. She highlights how important it is for people to stay connected with each other, to understand each other, whatever life experience, history and values they may have.”
Svitlana Pyrkalo, EBRD cultural adviser and member of the Awards jury, commented: “The Children's Book of the Year winner, Comp and Company by Anna Korshunova, is a great story about getting away from the computer and finding friendship and adventures. It chimes in spirit with the well-loved classics of Ukrainian literature for children. Only by diving headfirst into life can you have a real childhood, make real friends and fight real-life injustice together, having fun along the way! This is a valuable lesson not only for kids but also for their social-media addicted parents.”
The Reader of the Year 2017 prizes for the best reader reviews were awarded to Yana Grytsay for her review of Volodymyr Rafeenko’s book The Long Hours (Довгі часи) and Lesya Kosmovska for her review of Oleg Chaklun’s Cynthia’s Pyramid (Піраміда Синтії). The winning reviewers will each receive a Kindle e-book.
The BBC Book of the Year 2017 awards panel, which selected this year’s shortlists and the winners, included:
- Vira Ageyeva, professor, Ukraine National University, “Kiev-Mohyla Academy”
- Olga Gerasymiuk, journalist, member of Ukraine National Council for TV and Radio Broadcasting
- Taras Lyuty, philosopher and writer
- Svitlana Pyrkalo, EBRD cultural adviser
- Marta Shokalo, desk editor, BBC Ukrainian
- Vitaliy Zhezhera, writer and journalist.
Anna Korshunova and Kateryna Kalytko each will receive the Ukrainian hryvnia equivalent of £1,000. The publishers of the winning books – Vydavnytstvo Starogo Leva in Lviv and Kiev-based Chas maystriv – will have the right to use the logos of the BBC Ukrainian Book Awards on subsequent editions of the winning titles.