Iryna Shuvalova will be appearing remotely. Iryna Shuvalova is a poet, scholar, and translator from Kyiv, Ukraine, based in Nanjing, China. She is the author of five award-winning books of poetry, including Pray to the Empty Wells, available in English (Lost Horse Press, 2019). Her latest collection Stoneorchardwoods (2020) was named poetry book of the year in Ukraine, and her new book The Ending Songs is forthcoming in 2023. Her work has been translated into 23 languages, appearing in Ambit, International Poetry Review, Literary Hub, Modern Poetry in Translation, The Wolf, and others. She holds a PhD in Slavonic Studies from the University of Cambridge.

Andrey Kurkov will be appearing remotely. Andrey Kurkov is the author of Grey Bees and Death and the Penguin and has been described as “Ukraine’s greatest novelist.” Throughout the invasion, he has published illuminating reports from Ukraine in newspapers and magazines all over Europe and America. Not only has he been a regular presence on radio and television but he has travelled far and wide to lecture on the perilous state of his country. He has become, in the process, a vital voice for the people of Ukraine. His book ‘Diary of an Invasion’ will be published by Mountain Leopard Press on 29th September.

Uilleam Blacker is a translator of Ukrainian literature and Associate Professor of Comparative East European Literature at University College London. He is the author of Memory, the City and the Legacy of World War II in East Central Europe (Routledge). Blacker is a 2023 International Booker Prize judge.

He has translated the work of many Ukrainian authors, including Oleg Sentsov’s short story collection Life Went On Anyway (Deep Vellum). His translations of novels by Taras Prokhasko and Maik Yohansen will be published in the Harvard Library of Ukrainian Literature series. His translations have appeared in many anthologies and journals, including The White Review, Modern Poetry in Translation, and Words Without Borders.

He has written for The Atlantic, The Times Literary Supplement and The Literary Review, among others. In 2022, he was Paul Celan Translation Fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna.

Nina Murray is a Ukrainian-American poet and translator. She is the author of the poetry collection Alcestis in the Underworld (Circling Rivers Press, 2019) and several chapbooks. Her award-winning translations include Oksana Zabuzhko’s Museum of Abandoned Secrets, and Oksana Lutsyshyna’s Ivan and Phoebe (forthcoming from Deep Vellum).

BAFTA and Olivier nomainted, Omari Douglas is well-known for his breakthrough role in Russell T Davies’ BAFTA-nominated series for Channel 4/HBO Max, It’s a Sin. It’s a Sin was the first British TV series to directly address the HIV and AIDS epidemic and received critical acclaim and record streaming ratings. Omari was nominated for a BAFTA for his role. Last Summer, Omari returned to the stage in Constellations at the Vaudeville Theatre starring opposite Russell Tovey, he was Olivier nominated for his performance. Following this, Omari starred as ‘Cliff Bradshaw’ in the musical Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club in London’s West End alongside Eddie Redmayne as ‘The Emcee’ and Jessie Buckley as ‘Sally Bowles’ . His other theatre credits include Rush, Wise Children, Peter Pan, Jesus Christ Superstar, Five Guys Named Moe, Tristan & Yseult, The Life, Annie Get Your Gun and High Society. Next up, Omari will join Sky’s I Hate Suzie Too, the much-anticipated second series of Billie Piper's BAFTA-nominated drama series, which is headed to screens later this year.

Kateryna Babkina is a Ukrainian poet, prose writer, columnist, screenwriter, and playwright. She's the author of four poetry collections (Lights of Saint Elm, 2002, The Mustard, 2011, Painkillers and Sleeping pills, 2014, Charmed for Love, 2017, Does not hurt, 2021), a novel (Sonia, 2013), a novel in short stories (My Grandfather Danced the Best, 2019) and two collections of stories (Lilu after you, 2008 and Happy naked people, 2016). She has also written 3 books for kids (The Pumpkin year, The Hat and the Whale, and Girls Power (co-authored with Mark Livin), which are extremely popular in Ukraine.

Her writings have been translated into English, Swedish, Polish, German, Hebrew, French, Spanish, Romanian, Czech and Russian. Her plays have been staged in Kyiv, Vienna and Geneva. Translated books: poetry collection Ask for the same for all (Haver Laet Publishing House, Israel), novel Sonia (Warsztaty Kultury, Poland), novel Heute Fahre Ich nach Morgen (Haymon Verlag, Austria), a collection of short stories Szczęśliwi nadzy ludzie (Warsztaty Kultury Publishing House, Poland), Happy naked people (VINTAGEbooks, Cyprus), Nikt tak nie tańczył jak mój dziadek (Warsztaty Kultury Publishing House, Poland).

Georgina Godwin is a broadcast journalist, and presents the author interview programme “Meet the Writers”, and the current affairs show “The Globalist” on Monocle 24. She’s also Books Editor for the station and chairs literary events worldwide. She is on the boards of the charities English PEN and Developing Artists.