Atthis Arts announces its pre-order campaign for ‘The Factory,’ a novel by the late writer Ihor Mysyak

Ihor Mysyak, poet, novelist, and activist during the Revolution of Dignity, wrote “The Factory” in 2022 and dedicated it to his friend who died defending Ukraine. The US release is set for Nov 24, 2024.

The novel tells the story of a group of men who restore a ruined factory on the outskirts of a forgotten village. They decide to build and sell electronic machines that promise to bring happiness. 

Yevheniia Dubrova and Hanna Leliv translated the novel. In a comment for Chytomo, Hanna Leliv said, “It’s a tragedy that Ihor’s life was violently cut short by Russia, and his debut novel became his last.”

Because the author fell in the defense of Ukraine before this work could be translated, the translators had to rely on their judgment and instincts as readers, instead of responsive input from the author. “While I hope Ihor would have been satisfied with our translation, his feedback was deeply missed,” said Leliv.

Ihor Dunets created the cover. 

Thanks to pre-orders, Atthis Arts raised the necessary funds to cover production costs and marketing expenses to promote the novel. 

Publisher E.D.E. Bell recalled the moment Literary Agency OVO first approached her. “When Viktoriya Ma from Literary Agency OVO reached out to me, knowing of our work with Embroidered Worlds, she presented a list of Ukrainian titles,” she said. 

Bell initially hesitated, thinking the proposed projects sounded appealing but would overwhelm her small press. However, upon reading the description of “The Factory,” she changed her mind. “This felt different,” Bell said. “Honestly, I instantly felt connected to this book. It felt like a book I would like to read.”

The Factory is now available for pre-order at a price of US$19.95. The project received funding under the Translate Ukraine 2024 program, which covers rights acquisition, translation, editing, and layout, but does not cover production costs and marketing.

Ihor Mysyak, call sign “Poet,” composed both poetry and prose.  He was born on June 16, 1993, in the Lviv region. Mysyak studied history at Drohobych Pedagogical University and was a laureate of several important competitions, including  “Khorytski Dzvony 2018,” the “Irpinsky Parnassus 2018” festival, and “Zhytomyr TEM 2019,” among others.. 

He was an active participant in the Revolution of Dignity. From fall 2014 to late summer 2015, he served in the Azov Regiment, working as a medic and a rescue fighter. In early March 2022, he joined the Territorial Defense Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Later, he served in the Knights of the Winter Campaign Brigade. He participated in the liberation of Kherson from Russian occupiers and died on April 1, 2023, near the village of Bohdanivka in the Bakhmut district of Donetsk, while evacuating wounded comrades. Tempora Publishing House released his debut book.

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Main image collage: Chytomo

Copy editing: Ben Angel, Joy Tataryn