A bilingual book by Ukrainian writer, journalist and director Mariya Starozhytska, entitled Aoatearoa Alphabet, has been published in Auckland, New Zealand. The author presents the main attractions of New Zealand selected according to the Ukrainian alphabet, from A — Aotearoa, the name of the country in the Māori language, to Q — quality as the main requirement for local producers.
“The idea was to systematise my own impressions of New Zealand, since war and fate brought me here, 17,000 kilometres from Ukraine,” says Mariya Starozhytska, “and to present them concisely, informatively, in an encyclopedic manner and through the prism of a Ukrainian perspective.”
The main idea behind the book is its alphabet format, which is engaging for both children and adults. The illustrations include the author’s own photographs, picturesque landscapes by Roman Hubanov, a New Zealander with Ukrainian roots, and action shots by the well-known Ukrainian traveller Andriy Andreyev.
Here are a few examples of letters: S — sheep, which outnumber the population and tourists combined by a factor of five; V — former and active volcanoes; M — Māori, the first discoverers of the uninhabited island seven centuries ago; F — films, as cinema is the second most profitable industry after agriculture; and U — Ukrainians, who first joined the multinational community 75 years ago. K — kiwis (the self-designation of New Zealanders, as well as a bird and a fruit).
It was the Ukrainian community and its organisation Creative Ukrainians that helped publish the book and intend to continue distributing it, particularly at their own events, so that all proceeds can be transferred to volunteer aid for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.