“We after 24 February” – FINAL

A year has passed since Russia's brutal assault on Ukraine, but neither the human tragedy nor the hope for an end to the war has abated. The literary competition 'We after 24 February', organised by the Society of Authors ZAiKS and the KARTA Centre Foundation, presented a very unique perspective on the personal experiences of the war. A staggering 1089 works were submitted in response to the aggression against Ukraine.

The jury, comprising Larissa Andriyevska, Lubov Horobyuk, Hanna Karpińska, Michał Komar, Katarzyna Kotyńska, Svitlana Oleshko, Agnieszka Lubomira Piotrowska, Natalka Rymska, Małgorzata Semil and Maciej Wojtyszko, then shortlisted 126 of works for the second stage of the competition.

On 17 February 2023, the second stage jury, comprising Bogumiła Berdychowska, Ola Hnatiuk, Agnieszka Lubomira Piotrowska, Adam Pomorski and Maciej Wojtyszko, decided on the following awards and prizes:

First Prize (15 000 PLN) awarded to:

UA – Natalia Torżewska, pseud. Torżewska, „Тeodoriv Klondike”

Two Second Prizes (10 000 PLN each) went to:

1. UA – Andrij Jurkewycz, pseud. Мiśko Czystyj, „Тam, na Donbasie”
2. PL – Piotr Zygmunt, pseud. n/a, „MORFOLOGIKA… Czerwone i białe odcienie czarnego”

Three Third Prizes (5 000 PLN each) went to:

1. UA – Władysław Jakuszew, pseud. Wlad Jakuszew, „Rydwan ognia”
2. UA – Olena Zacharczenko, pseud. Olia Worobij, „Kury z Pawliwki”
3. PL – Olena Cikuj, pseud. matcha, „Mama”

A further seven distinctions ( 2000 PLN each) were presented to:

1. UA – Nazarij Wiwczaryk, pseud. Danylo Кіzan, “Rozmowy w garażu”
2. UA – Oksana Stomina, pseud. Ptaszka, “Notatki z piekła”
3. UA – Aniuta Galperina, pseud. Aniuta Galperina, “Krawędź życia”
4. PL – Pavlo Luhovyi, pseud. Paweł Łuhowy, “Pocztówka z cichego miejsca wojny”
5. PL – Ałła Zalewska, pseud. Nareene, “Dwadzieścia par oczu”
6. PL – Patrycja Pelica, pseud. Malinowa, “My – wy – oni”
7. PL – Agata Wieczyńska-Krawiec, pseud. Pigwa, “Tylko tydzień”

The overall quality of submissions this year cannot be overstated. Of particular value and significance were the great many accounts of a documentary nature which in our opinion, despite not quite making it to the final shortlist, deserve publication and widespread dissemination.