Another 27,000 books from British publishers arrived in Ukraine

All books in both English and Ukrainian languages are going to be distributed among libraries in different regions of Ukraine. This will happen within the joint initiative of PEN Ukraine, Book Aid International, PEN International, English PEN, Pineapple Lane, and Nova Post Humanitarian.

This book donation continues the joint initiative of Ukrainian and British organizations that started in 2023. A year ago, Book Aid International supported PEN Ukraine's Unbreakable Libraries project to help libraries affected by the full-scale war.

In 2023, PEN Ukraine launched a poll regarding the needs of Ukrainian libraries. Afterward, Book Aid International collected donations of new books in the English language from leading British publishers. PEN Ukraine has already distributed the first shipment of 25 thousand books, delivered to Kyiv in November 2023, among 120 Ukrainian libraries from the Donetsk, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Kyiv, Kropyvnytskyi, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Ivano-Frankivsk and Chernivtsi regions.

"It’s important for us that books delivered to libraries were actively used by their audiences. So, we always focus on whether the libraries’ teams are ready to promote new English-language publications in their localities actively. We are very happy that book and English-speaking clubs are launched, and libraries announce the new books from British publishers on their social media. This helps to attract new attendees. It’s also important that the program continues. This year, Ukrainian libraries are going to receive another 27 thousand books from British publishers. We thank our partners for this," says Tetyana Teren, executive director of PEN Ukraine.

"Book Aid International supports the Unbreakable Libraries project because much of our work focuses on conflict-affected communities, where people may not have access to books due to the destruction of libraries or internal displacement. Around the world we donate books to help replenish lost library collections, to ensure education and study can continue, or simply to offer the comfort and solace of getting lost in a good story," says Alison Tweed, Chief Executive of Book Aid International.

"In times of crisis, children are often the hardest hit. We hope that these books will comfort and entertain, offering a world of hope and new possibilities," Alison Tweed adds.

The new donation from Book Aid International in London is a special one: it contains almost 12 thousand publications for children and teenagers. More than 8,000 of them are unique bilingual copies printed by Pineapple Lane Publishing House with the support of HP UK Inc Ltd. Among them, there are books by Ukrainian writers Romana Romanyshyn and Andrii Lesiv, Halyna Kyrpa, Oksana Lushchevska, Halyna Tkachuk, Anna Khromova. In addition, Book Aid International sent another 3,000 children's books in English. HP UK Inc Ltd. also financially supported the purchase of 700 books for children from Ukrainian publishers, which will also be distributed to libraries in Ukraine.

"Books in English open up new horizons for readers, help them to expand their outlook and master a new language even in wartime or to take refuge in the world of fiction when there is no other option. In the moments of blackouts, when you have to hide in shelters for hours and save your phone charge, a book turns into a kind of an analogue gadget that proves to be the most reliable one," says Olha Mukha, London-based member of PEN Ukraine who facilitated the transfer of the books from Book Aid International and Pineapple Lane.

The remaining books in the second batch from Book Aid International — over 15,000 in total —are multi-genre publications aimed at an adult audience. These include classics, biographies, memoirs, reports, essays, self-development books, and contemporary prose in English.

The books will continue to be distributed as part of PEN Ukraine's Unbreakable Libraries project, which began in the summer of 2022. With the support of Ukrainian and international partners, publishing houses, and concerned citizens, PEN collects and delivers new books in Ukrainian and English to libraries in liberated and frontline territories monthly.

This year, the books will be delivered during literary volunteer trips and with the help of Humanitarian Nova Poshta. Libraries will receive copies from leading British publishers such as Bloomsbury, Cambridge University Press, Hachette, HarperCollins, Oxford University Press, Pan Macmillan, Pineapple Lane, Simon & Schuster, Yale University Press, and others.