Literary festival cancelled in Poltava

A literary festival in Poltava, initiated by Ukrainian author and veteran Vitaliy Zapeka, will not be held in 2025.

The festival was scheduled for August 8–10, 2025. According to Zapeka, “we don’t have many chances to hold the festival at a high level, but the chances of embarrassment are too high.” Among the reasons for cancellation of the festival are safety measures and risks of missile strikes.

The festival was intended to focus on modern Ukrainian literature, and among the announced authors were: Ivan Andrusyak, Serhiy Pantyuk, Sashko Dermanskyi, Andriy Kokotukha, Tetyana Sheptytska, Halyna Pahutyak, Sashko Lirnyk, Oleh Havrysh, Iren Rozdobudko, Dara Korniy, Larysa Nitsoy, Liubko Deresh, Tamara Horikha Zernya, Yuliya Ilyukha, Svitlana Talan, Oleksandr Kosenko, Tetyana Ruban, Yuriy Zhuravel, and Lyudmyla Okhrimenko. Such literary critics as Hanna Uliura, Tetyana Trofymenko, Maryna Riabchenko, and Anastasia Korotka were expected to join the program.

A separate section was planned to be dedicated to veterans’ literature.

The festival is now scheduled for the penultimate weekend of June 2026.

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Main image: Mistohub

Copy editing: Joy Tataryn