Our bookstand performed several functions. Firstly, it introduced the French to Ukrainian literary achievements. Secondly, it was a venue for dialog. On March 16-18, when the Paris Book Fair was being held, the French were able to meet with authors including Sofia Andrukhovych, Irena Karpa, Andrey Kurkov, Haska Shyian, Mariana Savka, Bohdan Obraz, Iryna Dmytryshyn, and Andrii Kokotiukha (the latter having been nominated for the French prize New Voice in the Detective Genre recently). In addition, it was to host events addressing a wide range of topics: from civil society to the war in the Donbas, in particular a reading discussion about the book The War That Changed Rondo.
Karpa commented on the event on her Facebook page as follows: “The Paris Book Fair with our incredible program... it will happen soon! I thank everyone who worked and still works on our little but proud dreams. Yes to cultural diplomacy.”
