The Guardian editor to publish book on culture and resistance in Ukraine

Charlotte Higgins, culture editor at The Guardian, has written a book titled “Ukrainian Lessons: Art in a Time of War” about art, life, and resistance in Ukraine during the full-scale war.

According to the publisher, Higgins never expected to write about war. In autumn 2022, seven months after the outbreak of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Higgins traveled to Ukraine to cover a literary festival. The visit proved transformative and shaped her subsequent work on the book.

In her book, the author explores the deep connections between war, art, and life, drawing on more than twenty years of experience in cultural journalism, three years of reporting trips to Ukraine, and her own academic training in classical philology.

“In a war fueled by the attempted erasure of Ukrainian culture — one that has killed countless artists and created countless more — art has become a matter of life and death. In times of war, art and literature are where difficulty and complexity survive: where the most painful, unspeakable truths can still be faced.

“Drawing on two decades of cultural journalism, three years of reporting trips to Ukraine, and her training as a classicist, ‘Ukrainian Lessons’ explores the profound connections between war, art and life. It is a searing, urgent and unforgettable book about what artists are prepared to risk — and why culture remains worth fighting for,” the annotation reads.

The cover of the book was created by Ukrainian illustrator Serhiy Maidukov.

“Higgins has written an important and undoubtedly wonderful book. Penguin Random House will publish it later this year. Thank you for choosing me for this work, which I am proud of,” Maidukov wrote.

The book will be published on August 20, 2026.

Charlotte Higgins is the acclaimed author of “Under Another Sky: Journeys in Roman Britain,” which was shortlisted for awards including the Samuel Johnson (now Baillie Gifford) Prize for non-fiction; “Red Thread,” which was a Radio 4 Book of the Week and won the Arnold Bennett Prize; and “Greek Myths,” which was shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year. She is chief culture writer of The Guardian, a past winner of the Classical Association prize, and a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. She lives in London.

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Images: publisher’s website

Copy editing: Sheri Liguori