Seven Stories Press will publish Artem Chekh’s novel ‘Rock, Paper, Grenade’ in the USA

In July 2025, the American publishing house Seven Stories Press will release the English translation of the Ukrainian award-winning novel “Rock, Paper, Grenade” written by Ukrainian writer and soldier Artem Chekh. The book will be translated into English by Olena Jennings and Oksana Rosenblum. 

Described as a “gritty and bold” portrayal of life in Ukraine’s post-Soviet landscape, this autobiographical novel tells the story of a generation that came of age in the 1990s, “growing up without much hope for a better future.” Yet, amidst darkness, moments of resilience and hope emerge: “When things begin to seem insurmountably dark, a friendship begins, a kind word is said, or a hand reaches out and opens the curtains, letting in a little light.”

The novel’s film adaptation, directed by acclaimed Ukrainian documentary filmmaker Iryna Tsilyk, was successfully released in Ukraine in April 2024. One of the main roles was played by renowned Ukrainian writer Yurii Izdryk. Artem Chekh also became a co-author of the script.

Artem Chekh is a Ukrainian writer, journalist, and screenwriter. He serves in the armed forces of Ukraine. His novel, “Absolute Zero,” was translated into English by Elena Jennings and Oksana Lutsyshyna, and published by Glagoslav Publications in 2020. He is also the winner of the 2021 BBC News Ukraine Book of the Year Award.

Seven Stories Press is a New York-based independent publishing house known for publishing “works of the human imagination,” including American and international fiction and poetry collections as well as literature on human rights, social justice, and economic equality. Notably, 25% of its titles are translations. In 2022, Publishers Weekly ranked Seven Stories Press at number 5 among the top nine fastest-growing independent U.S. publishers. Previously, Seven Stories Press published Artem Chapeye’s “The Ukraine,” and it now announced an English translation of his “Ordinary People Don’t Carry Machine Guns.”

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