In 2023, we joined English PEN and PEN International in supporting PEN Ukraine’s Unbreakable Libraries project, by sending 25,000 brand-new books donated by UK publishers. A second shipment of 15,000 books, including dual-language Ukrainian and English texts provided by Pineapple Lane, was sent last year.

The books are being distributed by PEN Ukraine to libraries throughout the country, including in front-line and liberated territories. For Tetiana, they are so much more than just words on paper and she told us how the impact of these books is already being felt. This is her story.

“I started working in the library in 2020, just as the lockdown began. My background is in education; I’m a teacher and historian by profession. My education has been very helpful in my work at the library. 

I watched from my window as an air raid destroyed our library. It was a series of raids that lasted all night, with strikes on our street. When I arrived at the bombing site, I met an old acquaintance and asked for his help to save the library. We first removed computers and equipment, then covered the windows and doors blown out by the explosion with wood.  

After our defenders drove the Russians out of the Chernihiv region, volunteers came, and together we managed to save a significant part of the library’s property. While we were working in the library, people passing by would stop and ask, “Can we help?” Now we are operating out of a temporary rented location.   

We tried to turn challenges into opportunities. For instance, we didn’t have a proper venue but needed to hold an event. So, we reached out to our friends, expanding our network. This helped develop the cultural life of the community. Displaced people appeared in the city, and we decided to help them by organizing bibliotherapy and delivering books. This turned out to be the right decision, and we’ve been working this way for two years now.  

We tried to help our defenders who were wounded and undergoing treatment. However, we couldn’t sustain this emotionally for long — seeing someone missing part of their skull and thinking about how to talk about books was overwhelming. Yet some would say, “I want this book.” 

So I would recommend love stories, for example. Or youth literature—like Anne of Green Gables or Pollyanna. After the full-scale war began, people want to read something that is action-packed. Some want passionate love stories, while others have turned to fantasy, a global trend. 

I myself recently, I finished Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Witcher series. We have them, by the way. I also want to mention Terry Pratchett. His sarcasm about death helped me survive COVID-19. 

Before the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, children were the main visitors. Now, we see teenagers and young adults, including those who left Ukraine and returned. Some have told us that our books travelled with them to places like Switzerland before being returned.  

Older people come to talk about their worries, often asking for advice about getting their kids into reading. Young people discuss their reading preferences, authors, and publishers. We also play board games with them and need more educational games like puzzles and logic games. We even lend these to responsible readers for home use. 

Before the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine we had a small collection of English books — maybe a few dozen— and most were destroyed during the bombing. Back then, they weren’t used often, mainly by people preparing to emigrate who needed phrasebooks. Now, people returning from Western Europe want to read books and authors in English. Compared to before the war, demand for books in English has grown significantly.  

We need more books in English by the most popular contemporary authors. There’s interest in youth, teen, and children’s books, including interactive ones. Requests have been made for romantic comedies, detective stories, fantasy, and books based on movies. 

Readers now have options, and that’s wonderful. 

Photos (c) SKozliuk2024/Maksym Sytnikov/PEN Ukraine

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