Long lines for author autographs at BestsellerFest

A new literary festival, 2025 BestsellerFest, was held in August at !FESTrepublic in Lviv. Over three days, it featured more than 70 events, bringing together around 150 authors and 50 Ukrainian publishers. In total, around 5,000 people attended the festival.

The main program was built around 20 authors of bestsellers, including writers like Oksana Zabuzhko, Illarion Pavliuk, Yuri Andrukhovych, Maria Matios, Irena Karpa, Max Kidruk, Andriy Lyubka, Lyuko Dashvar, and others. Events were held at the same time in four different halls, and some meetings were so full of people eager to have books signed that autograph sessions went on for hours.

“When you see so many books, events, and readers in one place, you start to believe again that what you do matters, that it is needed,” said Andrukhovych.

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“Ukrainian literature and language are true treasures of ours. If we ignore this strategic value, we can’t win the war. BestsellerFest has clearly become a new space where that value is nurtured and strengthened.”

An excerpt from a new novel by Pavliuk, “The Book of Emil,” to be released this fall, sold for UAH 106,000 (around $2,541) at a charity auction. Three autographed books by Zabuzhko raised UAH 100,000 (around $2,415). All auctions were conducted by volunteer Oleksandr “Kolmen” Serdyuk. In total, the festival raised around UAH 700,000 (around $16,915) for the National Guard’s 12th Azov Special Forces Brigade.

“The focus of the BestsellerFest was mainly on prose writers, since we already have a separate festival for poets,” founder of the festival Savka said. “It is the ‘Land of Poets,’ and this year it will take place on November 8–9, also at !FESTrepublic. 

“When I envisioned this new book event, my primary goal was to create a community united by literature. We succeeded in bringing together top Ukrainian authors, publishers, and readers. All 70+ events drew audiences, with most completely sold out. I hope our writers gain the recognition they deserve within their own country.”

The music program of the festival included performances by “Faktychno Sami” band with Irena Karpa, “Fiolet” with Serhiy Martynyuk, Viktor Morozov, Ruslan Gorovoy, Marjana Savka, Zinoviy Karach, and Yuriy Yosyfovych.

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Photo credit: Festival’s organizers

Copy editing: Joy Tataryn