The Ukrainian book Life on the Edge has been published in France by Gallimard, one of the most prestigious and oldest publishing houses in Europe, founded in 1911. Over the decades, the publisher has brought out works by key figures of French and world literature — from 20th-century classics to contemporary recipients of the highest literary honours.
The French edition has been issued under the title La vie à la limite and is already available in bookshops throughout France. Its publication by Gallimard signifies not merely a translation, but the integration of the Ukrainian experience into a broader European intellectual context — a space in which contemporary humanistic thought is shaped.
The French edition was made possible with the support of the Ukrainian Institute in France, which assisted with the presentation and promotion of the book in France. The translation was prepared by French translator Louise Henri, and the cover photograph was taken by Ukrainian photographer Yuliya Kochetova.
The book is a philosophical account of contemporary Ukrainian reality during the full-scale war. The authors, literary scholar Tetyana Oharkova and philosopher Volodymyr Yermolenko, draw on their visits to frontline and recently de-occupied territories, as well as on personal observations and encounters, to illustrate how war transforms everyday life and reshapes perceptions of home, time, death and culture. The work explores fundamental concepts — time, space, history and culture — through the lens of war and loss, seeking to articulate what it means to be Ukrainian today.
In Ukraine, the book was published by Dukh i Litera.