Ukraine’s national stand at 2026 London Book Fair: ‘We are ready to speak about ourselves like never before’

Ukraine’s national stand, organized by the Ukrainian Book Institute with the support of British partners, officially opened at 2026 London Book Fair (LBF).

Located in the International Hall (No. 1E101), it has served as a meeting place for publishers, translators, rights holders, and book market specialists from Ukraine and around the world right from the start. Its advantageous location — just a few steps from the main stage, on the way to the meeting area and opposite the British Council stand — has enhanced the visibility of Ukraine’s presence. The stand is adjacent to the Polish and Czech national stands.

In 2026, the stand presents books covering modern Ukraine, the war and reconstruction, fiction, children’s literature, and non-fiction, in addition to rights catalogs that Ukrainian participants will work with during the event. After the formal opening, guests attended a reception supported by the British Council, which became a space for informal communication and gaining new professional contacts.

“We are ready to speak about ourselves like never before”

During the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Culture of Ukraine Bohdana Laiuk emphasized that Ukrainian literature is ready for a comprehensive conversation with the world: “We are ready to speak about ourselves, Ukrainian literature, and the book market at the international level like never before. Over the past 10–12 years, Ukraine has grown from a country where only a few authors were known abroad to a country that offers an extraordinary variety of literature for different readers, ages, and tastes.”

Speaking about the “big stories” of Ukrainian literature, Laiuk noted that much work remains to achieve export recognition: “We have not yet fully articulated our main narratives — as, for example, Nordic literature has the brand of ‘dark novels,’” Laiuk said. “We need to clearly identify our own superpowers and learn to talk about them concisely and accurately. First, it is important for us to understand this ourselves so we can clearly explain it to our partners and international colleagues.”

RELATED: Escaping reality: Books Ukrainian military turn to

She focused on military and historical prose: “I am guided by the Booker Prize and the themes it highlights. Today, these are largely personal, psychological stories set within the context of an era, either present-day or historical. We are particularly strong in this field, especially in the prose of contemporary Ukrainian women writers like Sofia Andrukhovych and Tanja Maljartschuk, which strongly reflects the context of the 20th century, the rethinking of Europe, and issues of security.

“Despite fatigue with the topic of war, I am convinced that war and military literature represent our unique, complex, existential experience. From works by Artur Dron and Artem Chekh to works by Pavlo Belianskyi, these books are already shaping our memory of events, and in the coming years we will have a powerful body of evidence of historical reality. Still, many more books like these are needed.”

“Books shape memory and the future”

In his speech, Valerii Zaluzhny, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, emphasized the role of books in shaping collective memory: “Books shape memory, and the future is built on this memory. In moments of great challenge, especially with the growing role of AI, truthful words carry unique power. They shape resilience and help explain to the world who we truly are.”

According to Zaluzhny, Ukrainian literature now goes far beyond military themes:

“Today, Ukrainian books talk not only about war, but also about the values that determine our tomorrow. Ukraine’s participation in the London Book Fair is important to me both as a state official and as an author. This is an extraordinary opportunity for fostering new partnerships and future translations.”

Viewpoint of the London Book Fair and the British Council

Emma Lowe, the new LBF Exhibition Director, emphasized that Ukraine’s presence is an indicator of the quality of the fair itself: “We are only as good as our participants. If there are no Ukrainians, we are not good enough — this is primarily a question of our level.”

Lowe has also outlined the key priorities of the exhibition: international focus, the growing role of audio formats, and the National Year of Reading, particularly as an ongoing practice rather than a one-off event.

Representatives of the British Council reminded  those listening that collaboration with Ukraine began before the outbreak of the full-scale invasion:

“We have supported Ukrainians for many years, and this story did not start in 2022. Participation in the London Book Fair is only a small aspect of our broader partnership.”

RELATED: British Council office, several bookstores, media offices and newsrooms damaged during night attack on Kyiv

They emphasized that they would like to see an even wider range of genres in Ukrainian books: alongside the military theme already outlined, in particular the texts of Victoria Amelina, there is a noticeable increase in interest in publications about Ukrainian culture and everyday life.

Stand participants and future plans

This year, 12 publishing houses and one literary agency are represented at Ukraine’s national stand:

• Summit Knyha;
• Artbooks;
• Educational Book – Bohdan;
• Orlando Publishing House;
• The Old Lion Publishing House;
• Vivat;
• Ukraїner Publishing House;
• Creative Publishing;
• Ukrainian Fashion Publishing;
• Ranok;
• Creative Women Publishing;
• Freimut Books; and
• OVO Literary Agency.

Publishers select books for presentation.

“Although Ukrainian speakers were absent in the main program of the exhibition, the Ukrainian Book Institute, in cooperation with British partners, is working on alternative formats for the participation of Ukrainian authors and experts. After all, this is primarily a B2B format, where both time and space are limited resources, and representatives of some publishing houses will not be at the stand: they are booked in advance,”

said cultural manager Olha Mukha.

In recent years, participation and the cost of the stand (over £30,000) have been financed by the state.  favorable location was secured thanks to the active cooperation of the Ukrainian Book Institute and the involvement of an exhibition team member from Ukraine.

According to Mukha, there is no sense of a “third world war” coming: the publishing industry in London is still living outside political news. However, books about war and by combatant authors are attracting considerable attention alongside albums about cuisine, traditions, and history.

RELATED: The London Book Fair 2025: ‘Romantasy,’ AI, audiobooks, ‘new reader’ and reading for pleasure

Images: UBI/Sviatoslav Shevchuk

Copy editing: Joy Tataryn