A few days ago, a special academic event was held in Paris, dedicated to the reception, translation and dissemination of Ukrainian literature in the French-speaking world. The event took place at Inalco University as part of a wider international colloquium entitled Facteurs et acteurs de la (non)réception de la littérature ukrainienne en France (Factors and Actors in the (Non-)Reception of Ukrainian Literature in France).
The highlight of the day was a plenary lecture by Serhiy Zhadan. The programme also included round-table discussions, academic presentations and professional exchanges focusing on the challenges of translation, editing and the visibility of Ukrainian literature in France. Particular attention was paid to a concluding discussion on the challenges of editing Ukrainian texts into French.
The event was attended by representatives of the Embassy of Ukraine in France, Sorbonne University, as well as research institutions and international academic networks, in particular the Global Coalition for Ukrainian Studies.
The event took place in the Dumézil Auditorium of the Inalco Research Centre and was accessible both in person and online. It formed part of the ‘mSeason of Ukraine in France programme and the broader Voyage to Ukraine initiative, which aims to strengthen the presence of Ukrainian culture in the European intellectual sphere.
The international colloquium ran from 30 March to 2 April 2026 and brought together academics, translators and cultural figures to analyse the reasons for the limited visibility of Ukrainian literature in the French literary field, as well as to identify effective strategies for its promotion.