The Lviv BookForum kicked off Thursday in Ukraine, with the hybrid event being livestreamed in its entirety for the first time in its history.
The event comes at a fraught time for Ukraine, which has been under Russian invasion since February. While much of the fighting has been concentrated in the east of Ukraine, the city of Lviv hasn’t been spared; it’s been subjected to missile attacks from the Russian military over the past several months.
The festival, which is being produced in partnership with the literary charity Hay Festival, aims “to create a civic space for a free and tolerant exchange of ideas between writers and readers around the world,” organizers said in a news release.
This year’s festival, which takes place from Oct. 6 to Oct. 9, will feature 15 conversations with writers from across the world.
On Friday, British author Neil Gaiman will be in conversation with Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harari and Ukrainian journalist Sevgil Musayeva. That same day, Turkish-British novelist Elif Shafak will talk with Ukrainian poet and translator Kateryna Kalytko.
Canadian novelist Margaret Atwood will appear virtually at the festival on Saturday, speaking with Ukrainian literary critic Yurii Prokhasko.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered a letter in support of the festival, calling it “an important book publishing event that holds its intellectual front in this difficult time.”
“For more than half a year, the world has witnessed how Russian aggression has been destroying our territories, Ukrainian culture, language, and books as a symbol of freedom and indomitability of our people,” Zelenskyy wrote. “Today, when the Armed Forces of Ukraine are courageously defending their native country from the enemy invasion, it is vitally important for us to preserve our national culture and identity.”
Readers can view panels online for free by registering on the festival website.
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
