The IV Propysy workshop festival for emerging authors took place in Ivano-Frankivsk

The Propysy workshop festival for emerging authors lasted in Ivano-Frankivsk from March 31 to April 4. The festival was organized by PEN Ukraine in cooperation with the platform for reading promotion Textura.

The program consisted of public and professional events. 10 emerging authors participated in the professional program. Mentors such as Volodymyr Yermolenko, Marichka Paplauskaite, Maria Tumarkin, Myroslav Laiuk, Olena Sheremet, Taras Prokhasko, Olesya Yaremchuk, Kateryna Yakovlenko, Kateryna Yegorushkina gave them lectures and workshops.

Participants also had individual sessions with Mariya Tytarenko, Vira Kuryko and Natalie Nougayrede.

"I think we made a right choice by focusing this year’s festival on the genre of reportage. During the events, we all made sure it’s totally on the agenda. It’s of the utmost importance for us today to improve and reinvent the language that we speak about our current reality. And I’m happy to see so many gifted journalists and non-fiction writers here today," said Ostap Slyvynskyi, curator of the festival, in his curtain speech.

During the program days, the authors had an opportunity to learn more about Ukrainian and foreign traditions of writing non-fiction, the principles of preparing a reportage and finding a genuine topic to cover, and different techniques of documenting facts.

"Propysy is the most exquisite and fertile soil for growing up young authors. I still cannot fully believe that such helpful and useful things do exist. I am genuinely grateful for simplicity and sincerity in the festival team’s, writers’ and mentors’ attitude. This is the most natural habitat to grow, to shine forth, to experiment and to mingle with others. I am full of respect and gratitude for the wonderfully balanced theory and practical knowledge that I got from our lecturers and mentors. The program is brilliantly organized and well designed, but first and foremost, this was an opportunity to learn from the best people of this literary creative community. I suppose that in a decade I will still think that Propysy had been one of the most important events on my way as an emerging author," said Yana Mokhonchuk, participant of the festival.

"These were euphoric days of daring intensity. We have received almost too much useful information! Our brains skid but still coped with all challenges. I am immensely thankful to mentors and the team – especially I thank our mentor Natalie Nougayrede for her brevity and belief in our autonomy as writers," said Daryna Melashenko, participant of the festival.

At the closing ceremony, our finalists shared the texts they wrote during the festival.

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The Propysy festival was organized by PEN Ukraine in cooperation with the platform for reading promotion Textura.

The festival was supported by the International Renaissance Foundation.

Organization partners of the 2026 festival - INDEX: Institute for Documentation and Exchange and The Ukrainians Media.

Partners of the festival — Sens Bookstore at Promprylad and "23.restaurants" network.

Informational partners of the 2026 Propysy festival: "Chytomo", Suspilne Culture, Radio Culture, Ukrainska Pravda, "Sensor", "Reporter", Galka.if.ua, KURS.