Chytomo Award 2024 announces shortlist

On Jan. 13, the Chytomo Award, dedicated to spotlighting those transforming Ukrainian publishing and enhancing the global visibility of Ukrainian literature, announced its shortlists.

In 2024, Chytomo received 82 application submissions. Five nominees were selected for the following three categories: “Book Publishing Market Trendsetter,” “Ukrainian Book Ambassador,” and “Book Initiative that Promotes Reading.” Submissions were evaluated by an international jury of seven experts in publishing and literature.

“Evaluating the submissions is a challenging task, as this year we clearly see the interconnectedness between nominees and the opportunities they create. Without the achievements of some, the results of others wouldn’t be as prominent or impactful. At the same time, the diversity of these results is striking: drawing international journalists’ attention to Ukrainian literature during wartime, creating book platforms to counteract market monopolies, developing a media environment for the daily presence of Ukrainian books in our lives, and supporting reading among military personnel and residents of frontline towns under daily shelling. 

“These accomplishments are valuable not only within individual businesses or projects but also in fostering an environment that enables multiple initiatives, even under such extreme conditions,” said this year’s jury chair, Iryna Baturevych, Chytomo co-founder.

The International Renaissance Foundation is Chytomo’s main partner in the 2024 award. The Chytomo Award is also organized in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut in Ukraine and the Frankfurt Book Fair. Winners in each category will receive a $3,000 monetary prize.

One of the nominated publishers in the “Trendsetter” category will also receive the Frankfurter Buchmesse Special Award, which includes a separate prize from the award’s partner, the Frankfurt Book Fair.

Short lists for nominations in the three categories of the Chytomo Prize: 

Book Publishing Market Trendsetter

1. UA Comix Publishing;

2. Anton Martynov;

3. Creative Women Publishing;

4. ist publishing;

5. Rodovid Publishing House;

Ukrainian Book Ambassador

1. Yulia Kozlovets;

2. Dr. Oleh Kotsyuba;

3. Lucie Rehorikova;

4. PEN Ukraine;

5. Ivan Fedechko;

Book Initiative that Promotes Reading

1. NGO Cultural Descent;

2. Olena Stovba, director of the Nikopol Central City Library System;

3. The Ukrainians Book Club;

4. The space of Ukrainian children’s books BaraBooka;

5. Radio Kultura

The jury of the 2024 Chytomo Prize includes the following members:

• Iryna Baturevych: Co-founder of the book-focused media outlet Chytomo;
• Radovan Auer: Director of the International Book Fair and Literary Festival Book World, Czech Republic;
• Sonia Draga: Publisher and President of the Federation of European Publishers (FEP), Poland;
• Dmytro Lazutkin: Ukrainian poet, journalist, and combat veteran;
• Olha Mukha: Cultural analyst, curator, project manager, PhD in Philosophy;
• Oleksandr Sushko: Executive Director of the International Renaissance Foundation, Ukraine;
• Niki Theron: Senior Manager of International Projects at the Frankfurt Book Fair, Germany.

The ceremony announcing and awarding the winners of the Chytomo Prize will take place on Friday, Jan. 31 in Kyiv. Finalists and members of the jury will be present.

Results will be published in the public domain and on the Chytomo website.

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Copy editing: Ben Angel, Terra Friedman King