Local sources from Ukraine: The Village Україна, Читомо.
UK coverage: The Guardian.
In a solemn yet inspiring turn of events, the late Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina was posthumously awarded the prestigious Orwell Prize for Political Writing for her unfinished book ‘Looking at Women Looking at War.’ The ceremony, held in London, recognized the significant contributions of two authors who have poignantly captured political landscapes and human resilience through their literary works. Irish writer Donal Ryan was awarded in the fiction category for his novel ‘Heart, Be at Peace,’ but it was Amelina’s documentation of the Ukrainian resistance that seized the spotlight.
Amelina’s ‘Looking at Women Looking at War’ stands as a powerful testament to the struggles and perseverance of Ukrainian women amidst the war with Russia. Assembled from a collection of photographs, diary entries, interviews, and testimonies, the book provides a stark narrative of the war’s impact, highlighted with a foreword by the renowned Canadian writer Margaret Atwood. Amelina, who succumbed to injuries from a Russian attack in Kramatorsk before she could complete her work, had shifted her focus to non-fiction in the wake of the full-scale war, aiming to chronicle the experiences and resistance of women against the Russian occupants.
Her manuscript, completed by a dedicated team of friends, authors, and her husband, not only reached the final stages of the Orwell Prize but also clinched the award, underscoring the importance of transforming political writing into art, a principle deeply cherished by George Orwell himself. The prize, carrying a monetary reward of £3,000, will support the New York Literary Festival in Ukraine, a project initiated by Amelina to foster literary expression within the war-torn region.
The book’s journey to the Orwell Prize final underscores Amelina’s role as a chronicler of war and its extraordinary women, including journalists, human rights defenders, and other influential figures who have documented the conflict and Russian crimes through various forms of narrative, from essays and historical explorations to poetry. Described as memoirs of an ongoing war, Amelina’s work provides an intimate, accurate portrayal of the devastating effects of conflict and the indomitable spirit of resistance.
In celebrating Amelina’s and Ryan’s achievements, the Orwell Prize honors its namesake’s legacy, elevating political writing to the realm of art and ensuring that the voices of resistance, observation, and human endurance continue to be heard amidst the tumult of global political landscapes.
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