“Before the War I was a Poet” brings together seven most prominent Ukrainian poets: Natalia Belchenko, Kateryna Kalytko, Iya Kiva, Halyna Kruk, Mariana Savka, Iryna Shuvalova, and Boris Khersonsky.

Some of them escaped the war for the second time during the last eight years, some – for the first time, and many of them continue to live and work in Ukraine under everyday artillery shelling. In our poetry reading event, they will reflect on the ravages of the war, landscapes of Ukrainian history and memory, and the spirit of revelry and resilience.

All readings of the Ukrainian poems will be accompanied by parallel English translations. The introduction and Q&A are moderated by the translators Amelia Glaser and Yuliya Ilchuk.

Join the Zoom webinar here at 9:00 AM PDT. This event will NOT be recorded.

Sponsored by the Dept. of Slavic Languages and Literatures, Stanford University and the Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies Program (REEES), UC San Diego