Szczepan Twardoch’s “Null,” set on the Ukrainian front, wins Polish literary award

Polish writer Szczepan Twardoch’s war novel “Null,” published by Marginesy, has won the 2025 Ambassador of New Europe award. The award ceremony and a meeting with Twardoch will take place Sept. 13, 2026, during the Gdańsk Book Fair.

Publishers and members of the award committee submitted 70 titles for the competition’s 13th edition. Forty-eight books qualified, and five were nominated for the main award: Joanna Czeczott’s “Cisza nad stepem. Kazachstan i pamięć o Rosji,” Drago Jančar’s “Archipelagi. Osobisty atlas pytań i przeżyć,” Maciej Janowski’s “Karpaty. Opowieść o pewnych górach,” Timothy Snyder’s “O wolności. Przewodnik po świecie, który można ocalić,” and Twardoch’s “Null.”

Four of the five books nominated for the main award have direct or indirect connections to Ukraine. Drago Jančar’s essay collection “Archipelagi. Osobisty atlas pytań i przeżyć” includes “Straszna zemsta” (“Terrible Revenge”), which records the Slovenian writer’s reflections on the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Maciej Janowski’s “Karpaty. Opowieść o pewnych górach” examines the history of the entire Carpathian range as a multinational region shaped by communities including Ruthenians. Parts of Timothy Snyder’s “On Freedom” were written in Ukraine, and his conversations with Ukrainians informed the book’s broader reflections on freedom. 

Joanna Czeczott’s “Cisza nad stepem. Kazachstan i pamięć o Rosji” does not focus directly on Ukraine. The reportage examines Kazakhstan and the country’s memory of Russian and Soviet imperial rule, forced deportations, Stalinist repression, and the Gulag.

Magdalena Mistat, acting director of the European Solidarity Centre and chair of the jury, said the final deliberations centered on three books: Twardoch’s “Null,” Snyder’s “O wolności,” and Czeczott’s “Cisza nad stepem.”

The jury described “Null” as one of the most important Polish novels of recent years and an exceptional literary account of the experience of war in Ukraine. Rather than writing reportage or political commentary, Twardoch used fiction to portray war from the perspective of a person confronting violence, fear, responsibility, and the struggle to preserve their humanity.

“This text hurts, but it also offers hope that humanity can be preserved even in the most extreme conditions,” the jury said in its citation.

The novel takes readers to the front line, where a soldier known by the call sign Koń, meaning “Horse,” and his companions are stationed in a section of territory cut off by a river — a place that cannot be surrendered, although it cannot be saved. The title refers to the “null” — the most forward combat position, where established beliefs and values are constantly tested.

“Null” draws on Twardoch’s personal experiences in Ukraine. After Russia launched its full-scale invasion, he repeatedly traveled to the country with humanitarian aid and spent time near the front line. He has also organized fundraisers and personally delivered drones, vehicles, and other equipment to Ukrainian defenders.

The award committee emphasized that Twardoch avoided pathos, glorification, and simplistic divisions. Instead, the novel presents war as a form of barbarism that destroys people, values, and the existing world order. Although “Null” is a work of fiction, the committee praised the psychological credibility of its characters and the authenticity of the situations it portrays.

The Ambassador of New Europe award recognizes publications that challenge established stereotypes about Europe and its people and explore what Europe means today. It is organized by the European Solidarity Centre in Gdańsk and the Jan Nowak-Jeziorański College of Eastern Europe in Wrocław.

As reported earlier, “Null” won the Fiction category at the 2025 Empik Bestsellers and in Lubimyczytać’s Book of the Year 2025 readers’ poll. The novel is also among the 20 books nominated for the 2026 Nike Literary Award, with seven finalists due to be announced in early September.