One of Ukraine’s greatest literary forums, the five-day International Arsenal Book Festival, ended in Kyiv on April 26. The event was attended by more than 150 publishers and saw over 200 literary presentations happening. The festival’s mass appeal, with many Kyivites and residents of other Ukrainian regions coming to the venue, often with their families in tow, indicates that the available supply of diverse intellectual content is failing to meet the public’s demand. By the way, the queue at the cash desk was as long as several hundred meters at times on April 25-26. It seems that the virtual absence of an effective book distribution network in Ukraine was to blame as well, for many of the visitors came primarily to buy new books in quantity. Fortunately, they could be purchased at publishers’ prices there.
Den/The Day’s stand was very popular with the festival’s visitors. Readers enthusiastically participated in a win-win lottery. Let us recall that each subscriber or purchaser of our publications obtained a prize: a few issues of our glossy supplement Route No. 1, cartoon postcards by Anatolii Kazansky, a set of postcards from “Den’s Drawing” series or books belonging to series “Subversive Literature” and “Armor-Piercing Political Writing.” The most popular with buyers were Ukraine Incognita. TOP 25, a recent addition to our list, and books belonging to series “Subversive Literature” and “Armor-Piercing Political Writing.” Many people expressed interest in Route No. 1. They mostly requested issues devoted to individual Ukrainian cities. According to its readers, the glossy supplement inspires them to travel around Ukraine. In addition, those coming to our stand had a unique opportunity to become the first owners of the latest issue of Route No. 1, entitled On Danylo, the King of Volyn and Halych. Den managed to collect dozens of books for soldiers during the festival. Let us recall that each visitor of our stand was able to leave books for frontline soldiers and libraries of eastern Ukraine in a special box. They will supplement, in particular, field libraries of the 92nd, 24th, 28th, and 17th brigades.
Stories of the most interesting events that took place during the Arsenal Book Festival, as well as interviews with their participants, will appear in the upcoming issues of this newspaper!
COMMENTARY
Solomia MANDRUSIAK, a health worker:
“At Den/The Day’s stand, I subscribed to Route No. 1 through the end of the year and bought five earlier issues. I am impressed with the glossy supplement’s well-structured narration and interesting facts, absent from history books as well as Wikipedia. I like to travel around Ukraine, but there are still a lot of places I have never been to. Route No. 1 can serve as a good travel counselor. Out of Den’s Library, I have read James Mace’s books and Ukraine Incognita. I believe that every educated person must know the history of their country. I started my subscription to Den back in my time at the university, some three years ago. I like this newspaper’s willingness to stay committed to its own ways despite all the dramatic events and transformations which have been occurring in our country. Den’s contributions will be well-liked by people who are able to think critically. They cover a wide range of events in Ukraine and worldwide, and are accessibly written as well.”
Den’s Library books are on sale in bookstores, and can also be ordered from the newspaper’s office by calling 303-96-23.
