Ukrainian Book Festival in Milan brings together writers, publishers and cultural figures
On 30–31 May, Milan successfully hosted the Second Ukrainian Book Festival — a major international cultural event that brought together Ukrainian and Italian audiences around literature, art, photography, fashion and meaningful intercultural dialogue. Over the course of two days, the historic Villa Scheibler became a space for the Ukrainian word, culture, creativity and international cooperation. This year, the festival brought together around thirty Ukrainian authors from Ukraine, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Hungary, Slovenia, Poland and other European countries, as well as nearly twenty Ukrainian and Italian publishing houses. The event’s programme featured book presentations, creative meetings, discussions, exhibitions and cultural initiatives aimed at promoting Ukrainian culture abroad. Business Woman magazine served as the festival’s media partner and was prominently featured in the event’s programme. Nadiya Bereziuk, director of Business Woman magazine’s office in Italy, played a key role in organising the festival. It is thanks to her active involvement, many years of work with the Ukrainian community and the development of cultural initiatives that the Ukrainian voice continues to be heard far beyond the borders of the homeland. Nadiya moderated important discussions on cultural diplomacy, women’s leadership and international communication. One such key event was the panel discussion ‘The Global Voice of Ukrainian Women: Leadership, Media and Women’s Diplomacy in Times of Change’, which featured the directors of the magazine’s international offices: Nadiya Bereziuk (Italy), Oksana Shoorlemmer (Germany), Anna Voronova (Portugal), Kristina Giresh (Hungary), Galina Malovšek (Slovenia) and Zhanna Zhukova (Italy, Naples). The participants discussed the role of women’s leadership in the face of global challenges, the development of Ukrainian international communities, cultural diplomacy and the importance of the media as a tool for supporting Ukraine in the world. As part of this discussion, Zhanna Zhukova, President of the CRASA APS association, also spoke about the charity project ‘Calendar of Ukrainian Women in Italy’, which offers successful and active Ukrainian women an opportunity to make their mark. In addition, the UA SERVICE HUB platform was discussed as a promising and powerful tool for finding Ukrainian specialists abroad. The festival was organised by Biblioteca Ukraina Più – Milano and “Ucraina Più – Milano”. Such events once again demonstrate how important lively dialogue, cooperation and mutual support are for Ukrainians around the world. The second Ukrainian Book Festival has once again confirmed that Ukrainian books remain not only a cultural heritage but also a powerful tool for preserving national identity, fostering international dialogue and uniting Ukrainians in different corners of the world.
