Three Ukrainian Books Nominated for the Ryszard Kapuściński Literary Award

Three Ukrainian books have been longlisted for Poland’s Ryszard Kapuściński Award, highlighting wartime reportage and graphic storytelling that document lived experiences of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Three Ukrainian publications — Bakhmut by Myroslav Laiuk, the graphic novel A Short History of a Long War by Mariam Naiem, Yuliia Vus, and Ivan Kypybida, and A Call Sign for Iov. Chronicles of the Invasion by Oleksandr Mykhed — have been included on the longlist for the Ryszard Kapuściński Polish Literary Award for the best reportage.

According to Ukrinform, this was reported by Chytomo.

Myroslav Laiuk’s reportage Bachmut, featuring photographs by Danylo Popov, was published by the Polish publishing house Ha!art in a translation by Maciej Piotrowski. In Ukraine, the book was published by Ukraїner.

“The book is a collection of reportage and essays about the everyday life of war during the period of the most intense fighting for Bakhmut in the winter and March of 2023. The authors live through days and nights with Ukrainian infantry soldiers and artillerymen, medics and chaplains, rescuers, and children in the city and its surroundings, where artillery shelling and street battles continue,” the annotation to the publication states.

The author became the recipient of the Yurii Shevelyov Prize in 2024 for this reportage.

Oleksandr Mykhed’s book Kryptonim dla Hioba. Kroniki inwazji was published by the Polish publishing house Czarne (the Ukrainian edition was released by The Old Lion Publishing House). The translation from Ukrainian was done by Jerzy Czech.

In 2023, Oleksandr Mykhed received the Yurii Shevelyov Prize for this book.

“The author worked on the book for thirteen months, writing about what he experienced together with his wife, about his parents, who spent almost three weeks in Bucha during the occupation. About how we change, how our everyday language becomes the language of war, how things that were once familiar and important turn into painful triggers, and how certain sensations and emotions become something one wants to forget, yet at the same time remember forever. This book is not exclusively the author’s personal reflection; quite the opposite — he has collected and presented the thoughts and experiences of many Ukrainians during the first year of the invasion,” the annotation says.

The graphic novel by Mariam Naiem with illustrations by Yuliia Vus and Ivan Kypybida, Krótka historia długiej wojny Ukrainy z Rosją (published by Vydavnytstvo), was released by the Polish publishing house Timof comics in a translation from Ukrainian by Andrii Savenets.

“Over the years of the full-scale war, many stories have appeared, including graphic ones, in which foreigners speak about our war. But it is we who live in this war. And it was important for us to tell it ourselves, so that both we and foreigners could see it through our eyes, feel how we experience it. What you have before you is a reminder that, from a historical perspective, wars are never simple stories, but from a personal perspective, it is a simple question — will I live or not? The historical context of the Russian-Ukrainian war, from the Middle Ages to contemporary Ukraine, underscores the long-term nature of the conflict, its political roots, and parallels across time. And, of course, this graphic novel is about our life now, because behind every conflict there are real people with real stories, forever changed by the chaos of war,” the annotation notes.

In total, 137 books were included on the longlist for the prize in 2025: 96 written in Polish and 41 in translation.

The winners will be announced on May 30.

The Ryszard Kapuściński Award (Nagroda im. Ryszarda Kapuścińskiego) is an international prize that honors works of reportage addressing important contemporary issues and encouraging reflection and deeper understanding of the world and other cultures.

The award was established in 2010 by the Warsaw City Council. The editorial team of Gazeta Wyborcza became a co-organizer, and Kapuściński’s wife, Alicja, serves as the honorary patroness.

Ryszard Kapuściński was a Polish reporter, publicist, poet, and photographer. His reportage gained wide recognition not only as topical journalism but also as literature. Kapuściński became the most translated Polish author after Stanisław Lem and was nominated for the Nobel Prize several times.

As reported by Ukrinform, the jury of the Yurii Shevelyov Prize has announced the shortlist of nominees for the 2025 award. The finalists for the best Ukrainian book of essays are Vira Ageyeva with Against Cultural Amnesia. Essays on National Memory and Identity, Artur Dron with Hemingway Knows Nothing, and Dmytro Krapyvenko with Everything Is Three Letters.