King, Jergović, Snyder among international authors donating to Ukraine

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has shaken the whole world. In response, many celebrities, writers, and ordinary citizens from various countries began actively supporting Ukraine in the battle against its aggressor. Over the past three years, these same concerned foreigners have urged their audiences to contribute to Ukraine or have personally donated funds and royalties to assist the Ukrainian Armed Forces and civilians. Chytomo compiled several of these stories; the review below offers more.

Stephen King

Renowned American author Stephen King has been actively supporting Ukraine since Russia’s major escalation of the war. On Feb. 24, 2022, he publicly called for support for Ukraine despite possible negative consequences because “that’s the right thing to do.”

“What most of us learned as kids on the playground: You don’t stand by while a big kid beats up a little kid. You might take a punch or two making the big kid stop, but that’s the right thing to do,” King wrote on his X social media account.

In addition, King posted a photo of himself in a T-shirt with the inscription “I stand with Ukraine,” then encouraged his audience to listen to a song about the defenders of Ukraine. He also called on Elon Musk, owner of X and Tesla, to donate the money King paid for his verification on X to support the Ukrainian army.

“I think Mr. Musk should give my blue check to charity. I recommend Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation, which provides life-saving services in Ukraine. It’s only $8, so maybe Mr. Musk could add a little more,” King wrote.

In February 2025, after Trump’s statements about the Russian-Ukrainian war and calling the Ukrainian president a “dictator,” King returned to X and said Trump was a “moron.” 

Margaret Atwood

Canadian writer, literary critic, and social activist Margaret Atwood voiced her support on the first day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, sharing her stance on her X account, and called on her audience to help Ukrainians financially.

“People in Ukraine are in panic, hiding in basements while Russia bombards homes, hospitals and schools. @SumOfUs is raising funds and sending all of it directly to vetted groups on the group who can help right now — can you chip in?” Atwood wrote on X.

Atwood shared information about international protests in support of Ukraine, the Ukrainian president’s speech, calls to disconnect Russia from the SWIFT banking system, and more.

Additionally, in February 2025, one of the world’s oldest publishing houses, Macmillan Publishers, released the book “Looking at Women Looking at War” by Victoria Amelina (a Ukrainian writer and volunteer killed by the Russians), for which Atwood wrote a foreword. 

Alison Killing

In February 2022, the 2021 Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Alison Killing called on her audience to donate to the needs of Ukrainian doctors, human rights activists, the Ukrainian media, refugees, and the wounded.

“If you want to donate money to Ukraine, here is a list of medical, human rights and media orgs that could use some help,” Killing posted on X.

Furthermore, Killing actively shared materials from Ukrainian journalists about the situation in Kyiv and supported hackers’ attacks on the Russian government.

J. K. Rowling

In March 2022, British writer, screenwriter, film producer, and the most popular English children’s author of the early third millennium, J.K. Rowling, publicly addressed her audience with a call to help Ukrainian children suffering from Russian aggression. 

Rowling shared a post on her X account with details on how to transfer funds.

“Right now, our team is working in Ukraine, in neighbouring countries, and with trusted partners in the region to provide assistance to children trapped in orphanages, to provide emergency food, hygiene and medical kits, to help keep some of the most vulnerable children safe and support families, foster carers and emergency foster carers. We need  your help,” Rowling wrote.

Leigh Bardugo

In March 2022, Leigh Bardugo, American author of the New York Times bestselling Grisha fantasy trilogy and Ketterdam duology, publicly supported Ukrainians in their fight for freedom on her Instagram account. 

Additionally, the author mentioned that she had donated all the proceeds from the sale of “Shadow and Bone” to charitable organizations.

Frédéric Beigbeder

In February 2022, French novelist, publicist, literary critic, editor, screenwriter, actor, and director Frédéric Begbeder spoke out in support of Ukrainians in the war with Russia. In July 2022, the author announced joining a fundraiser supporting the needs of the armed forces stationed in Mykolaiv.

At the event, a charity auction took place, featuring exclusive items donated by both renowned Ukrainians and representatives of other countries. The Way of Peace foundation used the funds raised during the event to buy vehicles for military personnel in Mykolaiv, while the remaining amount was donated to the Ukrainian national platform UNITED24, which supports the Ukrainian army.

Marius Burokas

Since the outbreak of the full-scale invasion, Lithuanian poet, translator, and civic activist Marius Burokas has been actively supporting Ukraine and spending a great deal of time educating his Lithuanian audience about the war.

Burokas helped establish a volunteer center for Ukrainian aid at the Lithuanian Writers’ Union Literary Foundation. He also visited Ukraine several times with colleagues Laurinas Katkus and Donatas Petrošius.

(c)Evgenia Levin www.ze-pho-to.com

In 2023, the author raised funds to restore the library system in the Chernihiv region, located near the border with Russia, which is under never-ending shelling from the territory of Russia. Following that, he donated books to restore the library’s collections. 

Durvile Publications

In March 2022, the Canadian publishing house Durvile Publications released a new edition of “The Little Book: Story Reader for a Free Ukraine” by Ukrainian author Mykola Matviychuk. All proceeds from the book’s pre-orders were donated to support Ukrainians affected by the war.

Furthermore, in 2023, the publishing house continued to actively support Ukrainian culture and donated more than $34,000 (CAD) to support Ukrainian publishers, writers, and cultural media, including Chytomo. 

Henry Marsh

Henry Marsh, British neurosurgeon and author of international bestsellers, including “Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery,” published by the Old Lion Publishing House (in Ukrainian), has consistently expressed public support for Ukraine and visited the country following the 2022 Russian invasion.

In 2023, Marsh organized a charity event in London to raise funds for the Hospice Ukraine charity project, raising £60,285.53 (almost $80,000 USD). And in 2024, he traveled to Ukraine and helped Lviv volunteers weave camouflage nets, which were then sent to the war zone. 

Timothy Snyder

American historian, writer, and Yale University professor Timothy Snyder publicly supported Ukraine and wrote about the war in Ukraine before 2022. In his book “The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America,” published in 2020, the author analyzed the transformations in Russia, Ukraine, Europe, and the United States that occurred between 2011 and 2016. Among the main events were the Russian protests on Bolotnaya Square in Moscow, the Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine, the annexation of Crimea, and Russia’s invasion of Donbas. 

Following the outbreak of the full-scale invasion in 2022, Snyder published posts in support of Ukraine, emphasizing that Putin rules in a kind of virtual reality where he always finds an escape. He pointed out that Putin cannot be cornered in Ukraine because Ukraine is real. 

In November 2022, Snyder became an ambassador of the UNITED24 fundraising platform, and in 2023, he announced a fundraising campaign with UNITED24 for the Shahed Catcher, a system to counter Russian drones. As a result, he helped raise almost $1.3 million (USD). 

RELATED: The most important value: 10 theses about freedom by Timothy Snyder in the framework of Book Arsenal in Kyiv

Xiran Jay Zhao

On June 2, 2024, the Canadian writer of Chinese origin Xiran Jay Zhao (they/their) posted a video on their Instagram account with the Ukrainian edition of their book “Iron Widow,” in which they spoke about the shelling of the Kharkiv printing house Factor Druk and called for help: 

“Kharkiv, the city the facility was located in, is being shelled daily and the situation is brutal. To help, you can donate to Ukraine’s official fundraising platform @u24.gov.ua or @novaukraine specifically for humanitarian relief,” they wrote.

Timothy Garton Ash

In May 2024, the renowned historian and Oxford professor Timothy Garton Ash visited Ukraine to present his book about the events from World War II to the Russian-Ukrainian war, “Homelands: A Personal History of Europe,” for which he won the 2024 Lionel Gelber Prize.

Furthermore, Ash donated his $50,000 CAD ($36,700 USD) award to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. 

“I can think of no better use for a prize received for a book about recent European history than to donate it towards equipping the Ukrainian Armed Forces for victory,” Ash commented. “Because nothing less than the future of Europe is at stake in this war.” 

Ash, together with the charity organization Come Back Alive Foundation, provided the 409th Separate Infantry Battalion of the 22nd Brigade with a shipment of aid worth ₴2,751,943 ($70,000 USD). 

Jason Stanley

Jason Stanley is an American philosopher and professor at Yale University. He has authored five books, including “How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them” and “How Propaganda Works.” Stanley donated his honorarium for serving as an honorary professor at the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) to the Come Back Alive Foundation.

“I am investigating the threat of fascism. I came to Ukraine because it is a democracy that was attacked by a fascist terrorist state. Democracy needs universities like KSE to thrive. But democracy also needs to survive. That’s why I’m donating the funds to the Come Back Alive Foundation. They play a decisive role in the fight for the survival of Ukrainian democracy,” Stanley said. 

The funds, namely $20,000 (USD), were allocated to the Yatagan School for Training of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Specialists. 

Bernard-Henri Lévy

In July 2024, French philosopher, writer, documentary filmmaker, political journalist, and war correspondent Bernard-Henri Lévy visited Ukraine, meeting with Ukrainian writer Serhiy Zhadan and the soldiers of the Charter Brigade on the battlefield.

“Lévy visited the Charter Brigade. He is a man who does a lot to ensure that the world does not forget about Ukraine, knows the realities, and never tires of recording the crimes of the Russians in this war. Lévy visited frontline positions, talked with the soldiers about the future defense concept of our country, about the East and the West, about war and peace,” wrote Zhadan.

A few days earlier, Levy met with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi.

The Olena Zelenska Foundation reported that Lévy had donated funds to support the victims of the war and used them to reconstruct the central city hospital in Izium. 

Lévy began supporting Ukraine long before the outbreak of the 2022 invasion. In 2014, he gave a speech at the Independence Square and supported the protesters. 

Georgi Gospodinov

Bulgarian writer Georgi Gospodinov has expressed his support for Ukrainians in their fight against Russia, donating a part of his royalties from the second Ukrainian edition of his book “Time Shelter” (Ukrainian edition: 21 Publishing House) to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

According to Ukrainian writer and volunteer Khrystia Venghryniuk, Gospodinov’s donation of 56,000 UAH ($1,361 USD) covered one-third of the fundraising toward an air defense vehicle intended for the Kherson region.

“We are now waiting for the invoice. We will pay for the vehicle, and it will go to the front. I am incredibly grateful and bow my head to the author,” the volunteer wrote. 

RELATED: Georgi Gospodinov: ‘We have to be better readers than Putin and his circle’

Ryan Holiday

In February 2025, the American writer, business author, and marketing professional Ryan Holiday supported Ukraine by sharing a photo of Ukrainian soldier Kostyantyn Ulyanov reading his book “Courage Is Calling: Fortune Favors the Brave,” available in Ukrainian by Nash Format Publishers.

In the post, Holiday noted that he donates all his royalties and advances from Ukrainian publications of his work to the Come Back Alive Foundation.

“I was sent this photo of a soldier in Ukraine reading ‘Courage is Calling’ by my publisher. Holding out against Russia for three years is almost unfathomable, the fact that their publishing companies are still publishing and printing books? I don’t even know how to process that,” Holiday wrote on his Facebook, Instagram, and Threads accounts. 

RELATED: Neil Gaiman, Rebecca F. Kuang and others back out of their book contracts with the Russian Federation

Miljenko Jergović

In March 2025, Bosnian and Croatian writer and journalist Milenko Jergović posted a video on his Facebook account showing two Ukrainian soldiers reading and commenting on his book “War.”

“The man in this video is Mykhailo Romantsov, father of an editor at the publishing house that published the translation of my book ‘War.’ He is one of those Ukrainians who are defending their country from the invasion of Vladimir Putin’s Russia. In the video, he reads from ‘War’ (translated by Alla Tatarenko) and comments on the book. I won’t say more, except that this is important to me and I am sure that cynicism will not prevail,” Jergović wrote.

After seeing the video, Jergović donated his royalties from the Ukrainian edition of “War” to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Translation: Iryna Saviuk

Copy editing: Sheri Liguori