«Talk for me to see you», wrote Socrates. We would change the famous saying a bit: just say what you read. Ukrainian publishers offer a quality product for every taste, but today our multi-genre selection of works by Ukrainian authors from the «Old Lion» Publishing House for those who seek to be proud of modern Ukrainian literature. We assure you that there are grounds

Oksana Lutsyshyna «Ivan and Phoeba»
Agree, a strange combination of names: it is immediately clear that this is a story of contradictions. Sometimes open, sometimes hidden, which you, thoughtful readers, will not see immediately. The author is a master of intrigue and mysteries, depicts the historical events of modern Ukraine with documentary accuracy. For all those who survived the nineties at a conscious age, the novel will immerse you in the atmosphere of the years: confusion, chaos, and most importantly – the change or disappearance of familiar things. And the protagonist, a simple Uzhgorod guy with romantic dreams, who has to marry the poetesse Phoeba, also seeks change for the better. However, life can be unpredictable, especially after realizing the contradictions. Therefore, the story of Ivan and Marichka, a girl who chooses the name of the ancient Greek goddess for a pseudonym, does not become a love story. But this book is not about disappointment. It is about enlightenment, about awareness of time and events, about self-affirmation and patriotism. Readers from Generation Z will be interested in the book not only by the plot or deep psychological subtext. The stories of the heroes will help readers better understand their parents, who had a real chance to ruin their dreams and hopes in the turbulent nineties. And a small remark for those who are interested in the topic of women. Pay attention to the heroines of the work, their inner world, preferences, opportunities. After reading the novel «Ivan and Phoeba» you will understand why for Ukrainian women at the time of the desire to defend their rights.
Bohdan Kolomiychuk «Hotel «Greater Prussia»
If quarantine realities stop time and our movement across borders, a good book breaks all limitations. Together with the hero of Bohdan Kolomiychuk, Commissioner Adam Vistovych, we are transferred to another space-time dimension – Europe in the early twentieth century. How to describe the plot of a detective-adventure work and at the same time not spoil? Agree, it’s not easy, so we`ll just open the curtain. First, the hero of the work is very, very colorful. We think that thanks to the author we have our own, Ukrainian Hercule Poirot or Mr. Holmes. Actually, why not? An elegant noble man with a sense of responsibility helps the former… Stop, without spoilers. Secondly, bright and realistic pictures of life in Berlin, Lemberg, Posen in the early twentieth century affect all the senses, and we seem to feel all the smells and sounds of cities in which we will never be lucky enough to visit in reality. Let’s call it a method of historical urbanism – isn`t it a great author’s business card. Readers with a vivid imagination will not have to guess how detailed and embossed the descriptions are. And thirdly, there is no flat detective action in the work. It may be a disappointment for fans of the «twisted plot» and shocking riddles, but for discerning book lovers who are interested in the «taste and smell» of the era, this work will appeal. And eventually you will find out who is killing… No, without spoilers!
Marichka Kryzhanivska «Shadows»
To believe or not to believe in the influence of magical powers on your destiny is a personal matter. However, Marichka Kryzhanivska assures that the shadows of our ancestors stand side by side at crucial moments for us. At least some of her characters prove it personally. If you do not believe, read the novel «Shadows», which invites you to the mystical world and conveys the atmosphere of a unique Carpathian life with molfars and evil spirits playing with people’s destinies. In addition to the main and secondary characters, Hutsul idyll and easy detective story, the work has another important character – the great Parajanov. If you want to feel the taste of the sixties, visit the cinematic atmosphere and at the same time comprehend the interaction of different time dimensions, immerse yourself in the depth of culture, faith and traditions of the Hutsul region – this book is for you. The plot of the work can be considered detective or adventure, you can thank the author for colorful sketches «from nature», you can be inspired by the power of the figure of Parajanov, who created a cult film masterpiece, or just the next evening with the characters of «Shadows» to taste good fantasy from the Ukrainian author.
Pavlo Korobchuk «Pine needles»
You don’t have to be a literary critic to evaluate a collection of poetry. It is enough to just feel with the soul or experience something of what the author writes. Korobchuk’s poetry has a salty taste of blood and tears, so it can probably respond to those who have passed the test. The author measures wisdom by how much suffering a person has seen, but despite such difficult metaphors, his poetry is optimistic. Man can and should live even in spite of losses, war, tears. We do not know what associations «Pine needles» will raise from the depths of your consciousness, but we advise you to look closely at the book and the author, winner of many literary prizes and a graduate of the «Coronation of the Word» contest. Believe me, some of his poems will soon be broken down into quotations.
Essays of Ukrainian intellectuals «New Europe»
Ukrainian non-fiction is interesting not only as an example of literature of a certain genre. The collection of essays, created on the initiative of the New Europe Center, absorbed different views on the modern place of Ukraine in the community of European countries. We can sincerely thank Kateryna Zarembo, political analyst, specialist in foreign and security policy and civil society, for the star gallery of authors: Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba, human rights activist and theologian Myroslav Marynovych, scientist and publicist Yaroslav Hrytsak, Oksana Puluklyo, Oksana Palyakhlyok Pahlovska, journalist and translator Svitlana Pyrkalo, Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and public figure Borys Hudziak and other no less prominent and famous representatives of the Ukrainian intellectual elite. After reading the book, most thoughtful Ukrainian men and women will have their own reasonable view of the country’s place in the European Community. By the way, the book has another important detail for us: the author of the illustration on the cover of the collection is Anton Selleshiy from Zhytomyr. Agree, symbolically.
Read Ukrainian and be sure we have something to say to the world. Be proud, because #our_thebest.