Andrey Kurkov wins French Prix Transfuge Prize

“Our Daily War,” a book by Ukrainian author and journalist Andrey Kurkov, won the French Transfuge Prize as the best European book, as announced on Kurkov’s Facebook page.

“Our Daily War” is the second volume of the “Diary of an Invasion.”

The Noir sur Blanc publishing house, which published the book in France, noted on its website that “Our Daily War” is an “exceptional text.”

“Ten years on from the annexation of Crimea, two years on from Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainian people continue to fight back. In the second volume of his war diaries, Andrey Kurkov gives a fresh perspective on a people for whom resistance and solidarity have become a matter of survival,” reads the publisher’s annotation.

‘Our Daily War’ is a chronological record of the heterogeneous mix that comprises Ukrainian life and thought in the teeth of Russian aggression, from the constant stress of air raids, the deportation of citizens from the occupied regions and the whispers of governmental corruption to Christmas celebrations, crowdfunding and the recipe for a ‘trench candle.’

“Kurkov’s human-eye view on the war in Ukraine is by turns bitingly satirical, tragic, humorous and heartfelt. It is also, in the manner of Pepys, an invaluable insight into the history, politics and culture of Ukraine. ‘Our Daily War’ is the ideal primer for anyone who would like to know what life is like in that country today.”

The English translation was performed by Odile Demange and Johann Bihr. The book was never published in Ukrainian. 

Established in 2015 by the magazine of the same name, the Transfuge Prize recognizes awards winners in nine categories, including the following eight: Best French Novel, Best First Novel, Best Essay, Best Fiction Book, Best Stage Book, Best Latin American Novel, Best Anglo-Saxon Novel, and Best Israeli Novel. In the past, there was also a category for the Best Russian Novel.

As reported earlier, English and French releases are planned for February 2025. Pre-order is available now.

Read an abstract here.

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Image: Publishing houses’s website

Copy editing: Joy Tataryn