Falling in love with Ukrainian literature

While the Ukrainian Institute is in the making, cultural diplomacy continues thanks to personal initiatives. Caitlyn Garcia, editor of the literary journal Apofenie, is preparing an issue with works by contemporary Ukrainian writers.

“I was inspired to launch this journal after my first trip to Ukraine. When I was a volunteer in Chernivtsi, I met Khrystyna Venhryniuk, and we talked of literature. She also introduced me to other Chernivtsi-based writers – Maksym Dupeshko and Andrii Tuzhykov. Thanks to them, I managed to get acquainted with the works of many Ukrainian authors and, as a result, decided to get their texts accessible to the English-speaking readership. The experience of mingling with Ukrainians both in Ukraine and in New York was wonderful. So I would like Americans to fall in love with Ukrainian culture the way I did,” Garcia said in an interview with Bukovyna TV and radio channel. In addition to the abovementioned authors, the journal’s new issue will also comprise the works of Serhii Zhadan, Andrii Liubka, Liubov Yakymchuk, Tania Maliarchuk, Kateryna Babkina, and others.

Apofenie Magazine was founded in 2017. Its goal is to give a chance to speak to those who were not heard and, hence, to better understand their intellectual and material life. So, the topic of the winter issue is no accident. In the view of Apofenie Magazine’s editorial board, it is interesting to many people in the world to know more about Ukraine, but they cannot satisfy this interest due to the language barrier.

This initiative is a step to filling the informational space with reliable and positive information about Ukraine. The winter issue of Apofenie is to come out as soon as in February. The printed version (the publication of which can be supported on GoFundMe) is expected in the early spring.