Today, August 10, the center of our city turned into a true cultural and artistic festival as the book gathering took place in the city park for the sixth time.
This year it brought together over 80 writers and poets from various parts of the country. Throughout the day, attendees could meet and communicate with their favorite authors, purchase books for all tastes, participate in workshops, and even contribute to the support of our defenders.
At the book fair, 10 publishers presented readers with both well-known and popular books as well as brand-new releases. Visitors had the opportunity not only to expand their home libraries but also to meet famous Ukrainian thought leaders, attend discussion platforms, and participate in a charity photo session in ethnical style. Organizers traditionally arranged a creative location with workshops for children.
For the first time at the gathering, there was a special location filled with books damaged by war. In June, due to a Russian attack on Kyiv, the warehouse and office of the ‘Ukrainian Priority’ publishing house were destroyed. Tens of thousands of books burned, and those that could be saved from the fire were brought to the gathering in Sheptytskyi by the publishing director Volodymyr Shovkoshytnyi. Burnt pages and blackened covers became silent witnesses of how the enemy seeks to destroy everything Ukrainian – culture, language, book.
The book gathering, held this year in honor of the 160th anniversary of the birth of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, once again proved that Ukrainian books have their readership, and the power of the word can unite hearts even in the most difficult times.