UJE at the Book Country festival in Kyiv

One of the reasons for Ukraine's flourishing book culture is its society's strong desire to learn about and understand its own history. Book festivals have become special places of power, where each stand represents a big idea. That is why UJE was once again at the Book Country festival, which traditionally unfolded a multitude of book tents and stands on the alleys of the Expocenter of Ukraine in Kyiv.

The fifth iteration of the festival, Ukraine's largest, took place on 23–26 April, attracting over 71,000 visitors, according to the organizers. This time, the key theme was color as a continuation of literary stories across other cultural and creative industries: design, theater, cinema, illustration, architecture, etc.

The festival faced a challenge in the form of weather conditions: downpours, hail, and gusty winds, which did not subside for several days. However, Book Country did not "capitulate": the stands held out; books were covered with raincoats, and the lines of visitors did not disappear, even when it became noticeably cold. This year's book fair turned out to be "colorful" and diverse, bringing together 103 publishing houses, 15 bookstores, 18 independent authors, as well as illustrators, charitable foundations, NGOs, and other participants, totaling about 200.

As usual, UJE presented its books in pavilion No. 1. Its information and book stand informed visitors about the organization's mission, activities, and major projects: Encounter: The Ukrainian-Jewish Literary Prize, the traveling exhibition "A Journey Through the Ukrainian-Jewish Encounter: From Antiquity to 1939," the Ukrainian Jewish Encounter Timeline, and the All-Ukrainian Student Drawing Competition "Our Stories Are Incomplete Without Each Other."

The best indicator of the importance of our mission was the visitors' immediate interest in our printed editions: during the festival, we distributed hundreds of books and information materials to festival-goers and our colleagues — publishers, writers, artists, public figures, and all those interested in Ukrainian-Jewish history and culture.

We invite you to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of this literary celebration through photos taken during the festival.

For more information about the event, please visit the festival's website here.

Vladyslav Hrynevych, Jr., Regional Manager, UJE Ukraine