Projects

British cultural foundation Dash Arts in partnership with the British Ukrainian Society and English PEN, a global literary network held two Dash Café literary evenings with Ukraine’s leading contemporary authors.

Focused on discussing Oksana Zabuzhko’s latest novel ‘The Museum of Abandoned Secrets’, the first event took place on June 5th, 2013 at Rich Mix in London.

Oksana Zabuzhko participated in a panel discussion with poet and writer Igor Pomerantsev and renowned Ukraine researcher Dr Andrew Wilson. Discussions focused on exploring the historical and political context of modern Ukrainian literature, and the role of fiction writers in determining the country’s contemporary identity. The event also featured music from Ukrainian performer and composer Olesya Zdorovetska.

The novel, translated to English by Nina Shevchuk-Murray, was published by AmazonCrossing in October 2012.

Oksana Zabuzhko is Ukraine’s leading contemporary author, poet, columnist, and public figure. Her books have been translated into many languages. Oksana Zabuzhko has received many awards recognizing her literary achievements both in Ukraine and overseas.

‘A Flight Over the Black Sea’, a book by Ukrainian poet Igor Pavlyuk, was presented in London on March 5th, 2014 at Rich Mix, London.

The evening featured a conversation about Ukraine’s present situation by a panel chaired by Dash Artistic Director, Josephine Burton, and including journalist Annabelle Chapman, translator Steve Komarnyckyj, and the author himself. The panel gave the audience a unique perspective on the current political situation in the country. Meanwhile, the event also featured haunting and soulful music of Ukrainian performer and composer Olesya Zdorovetska.

Consisting of 75 poems by Igor Pavlyuk, the book was originally published in Ukrainian. It was then translated to English by Steve Komarnyckyj and published by Waterloo Press.

Pavlyuk’s numerous poetry collections include ‘Islands of Youth’ (1990), ‘Magma’ (2005), ‘Ukraine at Smoke’ (2009), and ‘Masculine Fortune-Telling’ (2013). His works have been translated into several languages, including English, French, Polish, Russian, and Japanese.

Dash Cafés are organized by the British cultural foundation Dash Arts funded by Josephine Burton and Tim Supple. Events feature live music performances, film presentations, recitals, and discussions held at different London venues. Dash Cafes are intimate and informal: a chance to encounter new ideas, surprising perspectives and unusual artists who shed new light on the regions in which we work.