Literature Beyond the Page
Traditionally, literature has been understood as an intimate dialogue between a writer and a reader. However, in times of crisis, literature often moves beyond the page. Writers become public voices, cultural ambassadors, media commentators, and witnesses to history. Today, many Ukrainian authors experience such transformations. During this event, we will reflect on the impact of war and other crises on literature and writers.
As the closing event of the Ukrainian-Dutch Literary Translation Residency, this public conversation explores how the role of writers and literature itself has changed in times of war. How do these changes affect the act of writing? Can literature remain a space for imagination and reflection when writers are increasingly expected to engage with urgent realities? Bringing together Ukrainian and Dutch voices, we will explore these questions from different literary and cultural perspectives.
While rooted in the Ukrainian experience, the discussion opens up broader questions about the responsibilities of writers in contemporary Europe and the role literature can play in shaping public understanding during times of profound change. In addition, our speakers will reflect on literary translation as an essential part of this process. Translation not only brings books to new readers; it enables stories, experiences, and ideas to cross borders, creating new spaces for dialogue and mutual understanding. With: Eugenia Kuznetsova, Tommy Wieringa, and Tobias Wals. Moderation: Simone Peek.
Speakers
Eugenia Kuznetsova is a Ukrainian writer, translator, and researcher. She holds a PhD in literary analysis and has a background in media research, with a focus on conflict-sensitive reporting and countering disinformation. She is the author of the novels Ask Miechka (special mention from the European Union Prize for Literature), The Ladder (BBC Book of the Year Award), and The Sheep Are Safe. Kuznetsova is also the author of Language Is a Sword, a nonfiction book examining Soviet language and identity policies, as well as a graphic book on the history of Ukrainian borshch.
Tommy Wieringa is the author of novels such as Joe Speedboot (F. Bordewijk Prize), Caesarion (shortlist International Dublin Literary Award), These Are the Names (Libris Literature Prize), The Death of Murat Idrissi (shortlist Man Booker International Prize), and recently Nirwana. His work is translated worldwide.
Tobias Wals is a historian of Soviet history and a prolific translator of Ukrainian literature. He has translated Serhii Zhadan, Artem Chekh and Tanja Maljartschuk amongst others.
Simone Peek (moderator) is a journalist and writer. She reports on Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale war in 2022, first independently and since 2023 as staff writer for the daily newspaper NRC.
