Antidespairant - by Natalka Maryanchak (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Natalka Maryanchak's collection of poems, written in Kharkiv, Ukraine, during the first 365 days of the Russian invasion, is an inspiring declaration of love for her homeland in the face of aggression.

Ukrainian poet Natalka Maryanchak's Antidespairant (Відчаєспинне) is a powerful expression of defiance and hope in the face of Russian aggression, written in Kharkiv during the first 365 days of Putin's invasion - the latest phase of a conflict that has raged between the two countries for four centuries. Composed under fire, Antidespairant - a personal diary in poetic form - is at once a prayer for her own people, a curse on the enemy, and a panegyric to those struggling to defend their homeland. Complemented by Kostiantyn Zorkin's arresting and evocative graphics, this is an unflinching account of hope preserved in the most challenging of circumstances.

About the Author

Natalka Maryanchak was born in 1981 in Kharkiv, Ukraine, and studied at the V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. Her publications include the non-fiction Lullaby of the 21st Century: What Lulls You to Sleep, the album and book Third Children, the poetry collection Stop.Ua and art book Crossfires. In addition to writing, Natalka runs a project on Ukrainian radio station Nakipilo called Unhurried Morning, aimed at protecting the mental health of her fellow citizens with a view to rebuilding the state after eventual victory over the invader. Kostiantyn Zorkin was born in 1985, also in Kharkiv, and studied Culturology at the Kharkiv Academy of Culture. His output spans performance art, installations, puppet theater, graphics, sculpture, land art and more. Among his most his important works of the last four years are the project Protective Layer, the puppet show Giraffe Mons and illustrations for Adela Knapova's book Bloody Compote. In his work, he uses natural materials (wood, metal, ink, paper) and traditional manual techniques associated with their production. He reinterprets the magical and mythological function of art by creating his own system of signs and symbols. Natalka and Kostiantyn both continue to live in Kharkiv, one of the cities hardest hit by the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine.