Writers join forces on Ukraine collection

Bogdan Kolomiychuk is one of the writers involved and is currently fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war

Ukrainian and Black Country writers have joined forces to publish a collection of writing about war-torn Ukraine.

Writing Under Fire reflects on the impact of terror and trauma inflicted on the country in the two years since the Russian invasion.

Ten writers from Ukraine and ten from the Black Country contributed to the project, including author and war crimes investigator Victoria Amelina, who was killed by a Russian air strike last year.

The book is set to launch at the Wolverhampton Literature Festival on Saturday.

Ukrainian novelist and war crimes investigator Victoria Amelina was killed by a Russian missile attack

The book has been co-edited by Professor Sebastian Groes from the University of Wolverhampton, who said: “You've got bullets and guns and firepower but in times of war writers pick up their pens and reflect on the situation to try to make sense of it.

“All these pieces are deeply human though the war and the crisis of war they bring out a shared sense of humanity that we all feel.

"Together, they write back in protest against the inhumanity and injustice of what is being done to a sovereign people."

The collection includes key contemporary Ukrainian writers such as Halyna Kruk and Victoria Amelina, as well as Black Country writers including Niall Griffiths, Anthony Cartwright and poet Kuli Kohli.

One of the contributors is Halyna Kruk, who is a poet, fiction writer, and medieval Ukrainian literature scholar

Some of the contributions are written by active soldiers who send dispatches from the frontline.

The English literature professor added: "One of the emotions that stands out at the start is anger - all the writers in Ukraine are so angry with what's happened to them.

"So the anger seeps from the pages but in the end, it's a hopeful book and we hope for the day that the war will be over, and that we can meet one another once again.

"Celebrate life rather than destroy life."

The book has been edited by Sebastian Groes, Carmel Doohan, Sofiya Filonenko, and Kerry Hadley-Price.

All proceeds from the book sales will be sent to writers and universities in Ukraine.