Ukrainian literature will be brought to a global audience of millions once more in a renewed digital partnership between Ukraine’s largest literature festival, Lviv BookForum, and leading charity and international ideas platform, Hay Festival Global.  Taking place 3 - 6 October, Lviv BookForum 2024 aims to create a civic space for a free and tolerant exchange of ideas between writers and readers around the world.  In the third year of Russian full-scale invasion, Lviv BookForum will use up-to-date experience of Ukrainians to speak about slavery and the post-colonial experience, the impact of public activism, gender issues and in general how the actions of citizens of the world affect global democratic processes. The hybrid programme, part in-person and part online, will blend renowned Ukrainian writers with internationally acclaimed literary figures in essential conversations around this year’s headline theme of “collective action”, encompassing art in times of conflict, memory, gender-equality, loss, corruption, imperialism, and hope.       As digital partner for the third year running, Hay Festival will broadcast conversations free online in English, Spanish and Ukrainian to a global audience of millions, while bolstering the programme with a specially curated strand of online events pairing international writers with their Ukrainian contemporaries. 

The full Lviv BookForum 2024 programme will be unveiled Thursday 29 August at hayfestival.org/lviv. You can sign up to the newsletter for early updates.

Lviv BookForum Director Sofia Cheliak said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Hay Festival Global for Lviv BookForum 2024. This year’s event will share essential stories from across Ukraine with the world and bring global artists to join us in preserving this safe space of exchange and innovation.

“We invite readers across the globe to stand with us in solidarity in showing Ukrainian authors that their voices are needed and valued more than ever. Their actions are a manifestation of strength and fight for Ukraine and a democratic world.”    Hay Festival CEO Julie Finch said: “As an international charity, we reach millions of people every year through our one-of-a-kind Festivals, Forums, programmes, and digital platforms.

“We are delighted to extend our Lviv BookForum collaboration as digital media partner of this year’s event, continuing to bring new audiences to Lviv BookForum and champion their essential work in creating an open platform for free expression.”

Hay Festival International Director Cristina Fuentes La Roche said: “With freedom of expression under attack globally, we are proud to partner with Lviv BookForum as a catalyst for change by exercising the tolerant exchange of ideas. We hugely admire the team and feel honoured to support them for a third year running in accessing our global audience of curious minds and influential stakeholders.” Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, two hybrid editions of Lviv BookForum have taken place in partnership with Hay Festival, featuring guests including Nobel Prize for Literature winner Abdulrazak Gurnah; Booker Prize winner Margaret Atwood; anthropologist Yuval Noah Harari; authors Elif Shafak, Neil Gaiman, Victoria Amelina, Samar Yazbek, Jonathan Littell and Liuba Tsybulska; lawyers and activists Larysa Denysenko and Philippe Sands; poets Kateryna Kalytko and Ostap Slyvynsky; philosopher Volodymyr Yermolenko; and many more.  Ahead of her Lviv BookForum 2022 appearance, author Margaret Atwood said: “Putin’s war is an attack on democracy and freedom, not just in Ukraine but around the world. In joining the Lviv BookForum and Hay Festival programme, I support Ukrainian writers and readers as they share their work. May this theatre of ideas and talent inspire more to raise their voices and share their gifts.”

The continued partnership is the latest chapter of Hay Festival’s global projects, forging creative connections around the world with year-round events and partnerships.