‘Stories that Bring Generations Together’—the VinBookFest Book Festival Took Place in Vinnytsia

With the support of Vinnytsia City Council and Mayor Serhii Morhunov, VinBookFest was organised by the Vinnytsia City Centralised Library System, in collaboration with the Department of Culture, the NGO ‘Cultural Universe’ and the ‘Open Book’ Charitable Foundation. This year, the event brought together around 80 writers and 27 Ukrainian publishing houses, as well as thousands of visitors, who had the opportunity to take part in creative meetings, discussions, presentations and charitable initiatives.

During the opening ceremony, the head of the local authority, Serhii Morhunov, emphasised the importance of European unity, the support of the international community and the role of books in shaping a conscious society. In his words, even in the midst of war, Ukrainians continue to identify themselves as part of the European community.

'It is important that we feel ourselves to be Europeans. Our young men and women, our heroes and heroines, are fighting not only for Ukraine, but for the whole of Europe and the democratic world. And it is highly symbolic that this year’s VinBookFest is taking place as part of European Weekend. I am convinced that a nation that reads is a wise nation, one that knows how to think, critically assess events and make important decisions,' noted Serhii Morhunov.

He recalled that, prior to the full-scale invasion, our city traditionally celebrated Europe Day on a grand scale, and that is precisely why it is symbolic that this year’s VinBookFest took place as part of European Weekend.

According to Serhii Morhunov, the literary event, which began around ten years ago as an initiative of the city’s libraries, has now grown into a major national cultural event and has become a cherished tradition for Vinnytsia; it is currently held twice a year – in May and September. The mayor also thanked the city’s international partners – the Mayor of Karlsruhe, Frank Mentrup, and the Mayor of Nancy, Mathieu Klein – for their support of our community and Ukraine during the war. He noted that the trilateral cooperation between Vinnytsia, Karlsruhe and Nancy has become an example of a strong international partnership, known far beyond the borders of our country.

Following the mayor’s speech, the mayors of Vinnytsia’s twin cities – Frank Mentrup and Mathieu Klein – addressed the VinBookFest audience, highlighting the importance of cultural diplomacy, European solidarity and support for Ukraine through joint humanitarian and cultural initiatives.

Frank Mentrup, Mayor of Karlsruhe, shared his impressions of participating in European events in Germany and Ukraine during his speech, emphasising the importance of twinning partnerships, which have become particularly relevant in the context of the war and the shared challenges facing Europe.

'I am sincerely grateful for the invitation and the opportunity to be part of this event. Every year I come to Vinnytsia with a delegation, and each time I am convinced: it is not only Ukraine’s freedom that is being defended here today, but the freedom of the whole of Europe. It is here that we best understand how to support one another and strengthen our cooperation and trust. This year, I am not only helping but also learning – from Ukraine’s experience, your resilience and capacity for recovery. We are talking about resilience – in infrastructure, culture and, above all, in people, in the strength of spirit that unites Ukraine and Europe,' said Frank Mentrup.

In turn, Mayor of Nancy Mathieu Klein emphasised: 'I would like to address the young people of Vinnytsia first and foremost: living in a city that prioritises culture, knowledge and reading is a great value, especially today, during the war. Reading and books are the highest form of freedom. And it is no coincidence that European Weekend and the opening of the book festival are taking place at the same time. After all, russia’s attempts to destroy Ukrainian identity, rewrite history and restrict access to knowledge are what we must stand up to together. By defending books, we are defending freedom, democracy and the right of a people to determine their own future.'

Serhii Morhunov, the head of the Vinnytsia community, also noted that, looking ahead, it is important to foster cultural exchange between twin cities so that German and French artists visit Vinnytsia more often, and Ukrainian artists—particularly those from Vinnytsia—have the opportunity to showcase their work in Germany and France. This, he said, would be another step towards strengthening international cultural ties and mutual understanding between the countries.

In particular, the delegates toured the festival grounds and visited the main pavilion, ‘VinBookHall – the book territory’. Representatives of the local authorities and Vinnytsia’s partners spoke with publishers and authors, and noted the wide range of literary works on display at the stands. The guests paid particular attention to the diversity of Ukrainian publishing houses and the scale of the book exhibition, which brought together dozens of participants from different regions of the country. Among them were KSD, Ranok, Folio, Buk-Druk, Magura, Lybid, Vydavnytstvo Staroho Leva, Zelenyi Pes, Bilka, Pamiatky Ukrainy, Ukrainskyi Priorytet, Kalamar, Pan Kotskyi, Chytarium, Chas Maistriv, Krokus, TaTySHO, Dzhura, as well as the local publishers Vyshenka and Edelweiss.

‘Authors’ Alley’ operated separately – a tented village of contemporary writers where visitors could chat with authors in person, buy books and get autographs. Among the festival participants were Vasyl Shkliar, Serhii Ponomarenko, Vitalii Zapeka, Dmytro Chekalkyn, Liuko Dashvar, Iren Rozdobudko, Svitlana Talan, Brother Kapranov, Vasyl Dobrianskyi, Volodymyr Shovkoshytnyi, Liudmyla Okhrimenko, Vasyl Piddubnyi, Liubov Dolyk, Oleksandr Khomenko, Nadiia Seniovska, Mykola Nikolaiev, Oleh Havrysh, Ihor Zakharenko, Oksana Chorna, as well as Ruslan Horovyi and Liudmyla Horova, and other authors. Children’s authors, including Sashko Dermanskyi and Dara Kornii, presented their books to the youngest readers.

A key feature of the festival was the ‘Vinnytsia Literary Space’ – a dedicated venue for over 40 local authors, hosting book presentations, creative gatherings and live discussions with readers. As part of VinBookFest, the ‘BookHub – Space for Living Stories’ was also organised. The main events took place at two open-air venues, which served as platforms for creative meetings, panel discussions and presentations. Over the course of two days, 35 creative meetings took place here.

A public discussion entitled 'Youth Unites' and an interactive lecture titled 'The EU and Ukraine: Opportunities Without Borders', organised in collaboration with the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine, were held for young people. Anna Osmolovska moderated the events. The festival also featured a panel discussion entitled ‘The Power of Words and the Memory of Generations: How Books Shape Modern Ukraine’, with the participation of Volodymyr Shovkoshytnyi, Vitalii Kapranov, Vasyl Piddubnyi, Viktoriia Kolmykova, and Oksana Chorna. The meeting was moderated by Dmytro Chekalkyn.

Interactive themed areas for both children and adults created a special atmosphere at the festival. These included ‘From Dream to the EU: Schuman’s Legacy’, ‘Harry Potter and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry’, ‘Sherlock Holmes’ Detective Laboratory’, ‘Dragon’s Cave’, a space for anime and manga fans, and the chess area ‘Move of Generations’. Interactive games, quests and quizzes were held here.

Particular attention was paid to providing psychological support for children and young people. In the ‘Green Tent – Children’s Balance Space’, the NGO ‘Educational Space’ organised trauma-informed educational activities and workshops, including ‘My Resource Hero’, ‘The Colours of My Emotions’ and ‘My World of Joy’.

The charity campaign ‘Give a Book to a Soldier’ remained a traditional highlight of the event. For the fourth year running, VinBookFest participants and guests have been donating Ukrainian-language books to Ukrainian defenders undergoing treatment and rehabilitation in the city’s medical facilities.

The European Square also featured themed photo zones, relaxation areas and open spaces for informal socialising.

'VinBookFest is not just a book festival, but an open space for encounters, ideas and inspiration, where Ukrainian books bring people together, shape shared values and open up new horizons within the European cultural sphere. These are stories written by generations and uniting them in a shared cultural space,' said Olena Zakvatska, director of the cultural institution Vinnytsia City Centralised Library System.