The Ukrainian writer and musician Serhij Zhadan receives the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. According to the jury, in his texts he vividly demonstrates what many have not wanted to see for a long time.
“We honor the Ukrainian writer and musician for his outstanding artistic work and for his humanitarian attitude, with which he turns to the people in the war and helps them at the risk of his life,” said the jury. The Board of Trustees announced the decision on Monday in Frankfurt.
In his novels, essays, poems and song lyrics, Serhij Zhadan takes us into a world that has undergone major upheavals and at the same time lives off tradition. “His lyrics tell how war and destruction enter this world and shake people up.”
In doing so, Zhadan finds his own language, which vividly and differentiatedly shows what many have not wanted to see for a long time. “Thoughtful and listening, in a poetic and radical tone, Serhij Zhadan explores how, despite all the violence, people in Ukraine try to lead an independent life determined by peace and freedom.”
This is Serhiy Zhadan
Serhij Zhadan was born on August 23, 1974 in Starobilsk, in the Luhansk region of the then Soviet Republic of Ukraine. He is a writer, translator and musician and is one of the most important, innovative and well-known voices in contemporary Ukrainian literature. He writes lyrics for various rock bands and has been the singer of the Ukrainian band “Sobaki v kosmosi” (Dogs in Space) since 2007.
His diverse literary work consists of novels, poems, stories, reports and essays and is particularly devoted to the period after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the war that has been raging in Ukraine since 2014. The locations of his texts are primarily the city of Kharkiv and eastern Ukraine, for which he is also socially and culturally committed and, in view of the current war, provides humanitarian aid.
Although he grew up in a predominantly Russian-speaking area, Zhadan writes in Ukrainian. His books have been translated into numerous languages and have received international awards. In 2018 he received the Leipzig Book Fair Prize for the translation of his novel “Internat”. In it he gives an impressive account of the war in the Donbass.
Social and cultural commitment
An example of his social and cultural commitment is the Serhiy Zhadan Charitable Foundation he founded. The foundation has been supporting educational and cultural initiatives in the war zones of eastern Ukraine since 2017. Since Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, his social work has intensified.
Zhadan continues to live in Kharkiv, organizing concerts, rescuing people from embattled neighborhoods, reading poetry and distributing relief supplies around the city. His most recent articles about the situation in Ukraine are contemporary documents about how the people living there try to organize their everyday lives in the face of violence and threats.
In the “Zeit” he described the Russian attack in April as “genocide”. And further: “Anyone who now tries to find a justification or explanation for the behavior of the Russians is doing nothing other than justifying a genocide.”
Peace Prize of the German Book Trade
The Peace Prize of the German Book Trade has been awarded since 1950 and is endowed with 25,000 euros. Personalities are honored who have contributed to the realization of the idea of peace in literature, science or art.
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The Peace Prize Winners of the German Book Trade since 2013
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The writer and musician Serhij Zhadan is the winner of the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade 2022. The award is endowed with 25,000 euros and has been awarded since 1950. Here you can see the award winners of the past ten years.
Image © Imago Images
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The award ceremony traditionally takes place on the last day of the Frankfurt Book Fair – this year it is October 23rd – in the Paulskirche. The award ceremony will be broadcast on ARD at 10.45 a.m.
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