The Rise of Ukrainian War Literature in French: What Dron, Vorozhbyt, and Zhadan Bring to the Table

In 2025, three Ukrainian books focusing on the experience of war will be translated into French, including a poetry collection by Artur Dron, a play by Natalka Vorozhbyt, and a short story collection by Serhiy Zhadan.

This announcement was made by the publishing houses Éditions Bleu et Jaune, L'Espace d'un instant, and Les Éditions Noir sur Blanc, according to Ukrainian media outlet Chytomo on November 18.

The independent French publisher, Éditions Bleu et Jaune, will publish the French translation of Artur Dron's poetry collection "Nous étions là" ("Here We Were").

Dron’s poetry, written on the front lines amidst constant shelling, does not directly address war but reflects the dignity of those "who, in the hardest moments, love more than they fear" and serves as a reminder of those "who were here, in Ukraine, and did not leave." The original collection was included in the Ukrainian PEN’s list of the best books of 2023, and the author himself, at the age of 21, joined the military front.

According to Chytomo, Natalka Vorozhbyt’s play Couloirs humanitaires (Humanitarian Corridors, originally titled Green Corridors) will be released by L'Espace d'un instant as part of its Sens interdits collection.

Vorozhbyt described her play as “a piece about four refugees from Ukraine after the full-scale invasion, about their involuntary European integration.” The work delves into Ukraine's relationship with the EU, the traumatic experience of fleeing as a refugee, loss, and the ties to home. The play was commissioned by the Kamerspiele Theater in Munich with the goal of “reaching the German audience on the Ukrainian issue” and starting an open conversation between Ukrainians and Germans.

“This play includes elements of absurdity and dark humor. Using these tools allows me to step back and be more unforgiving with my characters. So, the Ukrainians in my play are not victims. They are funny, frightening, touching, and invincible,” said Natalka Vorozhbyt about her work, as reported by Chytomo.

Les Éditions Noir sur Blanc is preparing to publish Serhiy Zhadan's Personne ne demandera rien. Nouvelles de Kharkiv (No One Will Ask Anything. Stories from Kharkiv). The collection, translated by Iryna Dmytryshyn, includes stories set in Kharkiv.

“Trams haven't run since late February, and people meet in the remaining intact places—on the football stadium, in a church, in office rooms. The characters, familiar from Zhadan's previous books, are now doing different things in this world: evacuating people from bombed neighborhoods, helping wounded soldiers find jobs, attending a commander's funeral,” the book’s synopsis says, according to Chytomo.

Earlier, Poems from a Firing Port, a poetry collection by the Ukrainian soldier Maksym Kryvtsov, who died in combat, was awarded the prestigious Lithuanian "15-minute Book of the Year" prize in the "Best Translated Poetry Book" category.

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