Lviv BookForum 2025
Event 2
Events taking place live online 2–5 October 2025
Sofiia Andrukhovych & Olga Tokarczuk with Marcin Gaczkowski
The New Role of Literature
Read moreCan literature shape the future, or is it destined to only reflect what has already happened? Join acclaimed Polish Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk and celebrated Ukrainian novelist Sofiia Andrukhovych to reflect on the role of literature in times of crisis, catastrophe, and profound transformation.
The pair will discuss how writers respond to ruptures in history, how stories are born out of uncertainty, and how literature can reframe the perception of what comes after tragedy. The dialogue will move between philosophical reflection and the intimate experience of writing, exploring literature as a force that both absorbs the energy of the present while generating new ways of imagining the future.
The pair will discuss how writers respond to ruptures in history, how stories are born out of uncertainty, and how literature can reframe the perception of what comes after tragedy. The dialogue will move between philosophical reflection and the intimate experience of writing, exploring literature as a force that both absorbs the energy of the present while generating new ways of imagining the future.
Event 3
Events taking place live online 2–5 October 2025
Bernardine Evaristo in conversation with Ostap Slyvynskyy
Women Writing in War
Read moreIn this conversation, Booker Prize–winning author Bernardine Evaristo will reflect with Ostap Slyvynskyy, on her groundbreaking work, the themes that drive her writing, and her commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices in literature. She discusses the intersections of identity, creativity, and social change, offering insight into her journey as a writer and cultural advocate.
Event 4
Events taking place live online 2–5 October 2025
Stephen Fry & Yurko Prokhasko with Kateryna Mikhalitsyna
Our Damaged Souls
Read moreHow can we care for the mind when the world feels on the verge of breakdown? In this conversation, acclaimed British author, actor and Hay Festival president Stephen Fry joins Ukrainian psychoanalyst Yurko Prokhasko to discuss the challenges for our mental health in times of upheaval.
Together they will explore the fragility and resilience of the human psyche, how individuals and societies cope with trauma, and why open conversations about mental health are crucial for our collective survival. The conversation asks: who breaks first – the world, or our capacity to withstand it – and what practices of care can help us sustain balance, dignity, and hope in the “new normal”?
Together they will explore the fragility and resilience of the human psyche, how individuals and societies cope with trauma, and why open conversations about mental health are crucial for our collective survival. The conversation asks: who breaks first – the world, or our capacity to withstand it – and what practices of care can help us sustain balance, dignity, and hope in the “new normal”?
Event 5
Events taking place live online 2–5 October 2025
Colm Tóibín & Bohdan Kolomiychuk
Historical Novels in Historic Times
Read moreHow do writers of historical fiction engage with the past when the present itself feels so pressing? In this conversation, award-winning Irish novelist Colm Tóibín and Ukrainian author Bohdan Kolomiychuk reflect on the art of the historical novel, its responsibility to memory and imagination, and its resonance in times of crisis and war.
The pair will discuss how fiction can illuminate untold or forgotten aspects of history, how literary imagination negotiates with facts, and why revisiting the past becomes even more urgent when societies are facing profound upheaval. The dialogue will bridge different traditions of historical writing – from European and Irish perspectives to Ukrainian contexts – and invite audiences to consider how stories of the past can help us make sense of the present and envision a new future.
The pair will discuss how fiction can illuminate untold or forgotten aspects of history, how literary imagination negotiates with facts, and why revisiting the past becomes even more urgent when societies are facing profound upheaval. The dialogue will bridge different traditions of historical writing – from European and Irish perspectives to Ukrainian contexts – and invite audiences to consider how stories of the past can help us make sense of the present and envision a new future.
