# Words Under Siege: Translating and Publishing Ukrainian Literature in a Time of War ![A closeup of burnt books](/sites/g/files/omnuum4931/files/styles/hwp_5_4__480x385/public/2026-08/2026.10.06%20Gosovska-2-1920x1536-web-thumbnail.png?itok=QWxjdKSt) #### calendar\_today Date and Time **October 6, 2026** 12:00PM - 01:30PM EDT #### pin\_drop Location **IN-PERSON @ HURI** [34 Kirkland Street Cambridge, MA 02138 United States ]() Pritsak Memorial Library [ REGISTER TO ATTEND arrow\_circle\_right ](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/words-under-siege-ukrainian-literature-in-a-time-of-war-tickets-1998907017699) ### A lecture by **Marta Gosovska**, Visiting Scholar at HURI and Editor-in-Chief of the Foreign Department at Laboratoria Publishing House, Ukraine Moderated by [Oleh Kotsyuba](https://www.huri.harvard.edu/people/oleh-kotsyuba), Director of Print and Digital Publications at HURI. Attendees are invited to enjoy an informal lunch. *This event is organized by HURI as part of the Ukraine Study Group public event series.* ## About the Lecture Ukrainian literature has been translated into foreign languages since the nineteenth century, yet for most of that history it remained a niche pursuit — sustained by individual enthusiasts, diaspora networks, and, during the Soviet period, state-controlled projects. Since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, that picture has changed dramatically: translation has become both a cultural strategy and an act of political will, with the number of foreign rights sold to Ukrainian titles rising nearly fivefold in a single year, and government-backed programs such as Translate Ukraine now supporting hundreds of translations across dozens of languages. But this expansion abroad has unfolded alongside devastation at home. Russian missile strikes have destroyed printing presses and warehouses, incinerating millions of printed books; publishers, editors, translators, and authors have been mobilized into the armed forces, and some have been killed at the front. This lecture traces the long arc of Ukrainian literature in translation — from its earliest English editions to today’s Drahoman Prize laureates and translator-advocates abroad — while examining how the publishing industry inside Ukraine continues to operate, adapt, and even grow under conditions of active war. ## About the Speaker ![Marta Gosovska](/sites/g/files/omnuum4931/files/2026-08/2026.10.06%20Gosovska-1-200x200-web-speaker%20%281%29.png) [Marta Gosovska](https://www.huri.harvard.edu/people/2026-visitor-marta-gosovska) is a translator, scholar of comparative literature, and Editor-in-Chief of the Foreign Department at Laboratoria Publishing House in Ukraine. She holds a Master’s degree in Literary Theory and Comparative Studies from Ivan Franko National University of Lviv and is currently working on her doctoral studies at the same institution. Marta Gosovska has led translation initiatives at Laboratoria Publishing House, shaping the international presence of Ukrainian literature while continuing her extensive practice as a literary translator. Her translations from English into Ukrainian include works by Kate Fox, Horst Kaechele, Karmen Maria Machado, Judy Blume, Olivia Laing, and Lois Lowry, among others. She is also an active translator of Ukrainian literature into English, with excerpts published in the *London Review of Books*, *Los Angeles Review of Books*, and the *Index of Censorship*. Her recent projects include co-translation of *A Ukrainian Christmas* (Sphere, UK) and *The Weapons of World War III: Ukrainian Experience.* Her expertise lies in literary translation, comparative studies, publishing strategy, and the international promotion of Ukrainian literature. --- ###### Questions? Contact HURI Events Coordinator, [Kat Ambrus](https://www.huri.harvard.edu/people/kat-ambrus). ###### Persons with disabilities who wish to request accommodations or who have questions about access should contact us at least two weeks in advance. ###### Watch videos of past HURI events on our [YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/user/huriyt) and [subscribe](https://mailchi.mp/fas.harvard.edu/huri-subscribe) to our email list to receive announcements about upcoming events and other activities of the Institute. See also:- [ Ukraine Study Group ](/event-type/ukraine-study-group) - [ Contemporary Literature ](/fields-expertise/contemporary-literature) - [ History ](/fields-expertise/history) - [ Language/Linguistics ](/fields-expertise/language-linguistics) - [ Literature ](/fields-expertise/literature) - [ Russia-Ukraine War ](/fields-expertise/russia-ukraine-war) - [ Translation Studies ](/fields-expertise/translation-studies) - [ Public Event ](/event-categories/public-event) Share on:- [ Facebook ](#) - [ Twitter ](#) - [ Linkedin ](#) Save: [ Add to calendar calendar\_today ](https://www.huri.harvard.edu/node/1618961/event-feed.ics) Copy link link