Ukrainian author
Book Trade Peace Prize for Serhij Zhadan
The Ukrainian author Serhij Zhadan receives the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade 2022. Photo: Dominic Steinmann/Keystone/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
This year, the prestigious award goes to an important literary voice from the war-torn Ukraine. Serhij Zhadan is honored for his artistic work and his political attitude.
The Ukrainian writer, translator and musician Serhij Zhadan receives the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade 2022.
The board of trustees announced this on Monday in Frankfurt am Main. The author was honored “for his outstanding artistic work and for his humanitarian attitude, with which he turns to people in war and helps them at the risk of his life,” it said in justification.
The 47-year-old Zhadan is one of the most important voices in contemporary Ukrainian literature. According to the German Book Trade Association, he still lives in Kharkiv.
He tells of the shocks of the war
In his novels, essays, poems and song texts, he leads into a world that has experienced major upheavals and at the same time lives from tradition, according to the foundation board. “His lyrics tell how war and destruction enter this world and shake people.” In doing so, he finds his own language: “Thoughtful and listening, in a poetic and radical tone,” Zhadan explores, “how the people in Ukraine, despite all the violence, are trying to lead an independent life determined by peace and freedom.”
Zhadan was born on August 23, 1974 in Starobilsk, Luhansk region. He studied literature, Ukrainian and German studies in Kharkiv and received his doctorate in 1996. Since the early 1990s he has been organizing literature and music festivals and has published novels, poems, short stories and essays. Since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine in February, he has been providing more humanitarian aid.
The Peace Prize 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. The stock exchange association has been awarding the prize since 1950. It is traditionally presented at the end of the Frankfurt Book Fair in the Paulskirche. This year, the award ceremony is scheduled for October 23.