At the 18th book fair and festival “Bich Wein” in Vienna, running from 25 to 29 November, a series of meetings with Ukrainian figures will take place as part of the “Update Ukraine” project. This is stated on the fair’s website.
According to the description, the thematic focus “Update Ukraine” will bring voices from literature, art, science and journalism to Vienna. It aims to explore what has changed in Ukraine, which debates are shaping it today, and which aspects of Ukraine’s experience are relevant for Europe.
The discussions will feature human rights defender Oleksandra Matviichuk; writers Serhii Zhadan, Yaryna Chornohuz, Andrii Kurkov, Myroslav Laiuk, Yevhen Breiher, Iryna Fingerova, Katia Petrovska and Tania Maliarchuk; President of Ukrainian PEN Volodymyr Yermolenko; illustrator Anna Ivanenko; international relations and security expert Lesia Ohryzko; and historian Yaroslav Hrytsak.
On 25 November at 18:50 at the ORF-Bühne, the panel discussion “Update Ukraine – Update Europa” (Update Ukraine – Update Europe) will address how Ukraine lives under shelling and what can be learned from it about justice and humanity, with Matviichuk and Zhadan, moderated by German journalist Katia Gasser.
The discussion will be interpreted by Sofiia Onufriv.
On 26 November, three events will take place featuring Chornohuz, Breiher, Kurkov, Zhadan and Petrovska.
At 12:00 in the Donau Lounge, in the discussion “Was Namen auslöscht, hält das Gedicht fest” (What Erases Names, Poetry Preserves), Chornohuz and German-language author of Ukrainian origin Breiher will discuss the possibilities of poetry for preserving individual wartime experience as both present reality and legacy. The moderator will be Claudia Date, a translator of Ukrainian literature.
At 16:00 at the Die STANDARD-Bühne, the discussion “Jahre im Feuer: Die Zerstörung der Ukraine” (Years in the Fire: The Destruction of Ukraine) with Kurkov will take place. The event will be moderated by literary critic and writer Stefan Gmünder.
“Jahre im Feuer” is the title of the German translation of Kurkov’s book “Three Years in the War: The Destruction of Ukraine” about life during the Russian-Ukrainian war.
In Austria, the book was published by “Haymon” in a translation by Scottish editor and reviewer Rebecca DeWald in July 2026.
“The journalistic texts, notes and diary entries of Andrii Kurkov reveal Ukrainians’ experience in the third year of the war, written in his home city of Kyiv as well as during his travels around the country and Europe,” the event description says. “Kurkov focuses on human stories, Ukrainians’ struggle for life and culture, writes about historical heritage and, ultimately, about their faith in hope and the future of a free Ukraine.”
At 19.00 at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna (IWM Vienna), the discussion “Die unbekannten KlassikerInnen Europas” (Europe’s Unknown Classics) will take place with Zhadan and German writer of Ukrainian origin Petrovska, moderated by Date.
“The German-language series ‘Ukrainian Library’ presents two new volumes: the futuristic poetry of Mykhail Semenko and an anthology of Ukrainian short stories from the early 20th century—two rediscoveries of modernism that Europe has scarcely encountered,” the event description says.
The discussion will be interpreted by Onufriv.
The event will be held in cooperation with the Federal Agency for Civic Education and Netzwerk der Literaturhäuser (Network of Literature Houses).
On 27 November, two events will take place featuring Fingerova and Yermolenko.
At 10:30 at the Die Presse-Bühne, in the discussion “Diagnose: Krieg” (Diagnosis: War), Ukrainian writer and doctor Fingerova, who now lives in Dresden, will speak with translator Cornelius Hell.
According to the description, Fingerova’s debut novel “Zugwind” (Draft) tells the story of a young Ukrainian family doctor in Germany whose life turns into turmoil when her homeland is bombed. Between the daily routine of her practice, feelings of guilt and a shattered identity, she searches for stability for herself and her Ukrainian patients.
The book was published by “Rowohlt” in 2026. The translation was done by Jakob Waloschyk.
At 14:00 at the Die STANDARD-Bühne, a panel discussion titled “Was wir einander zumuten dürfen” (What We May Ask of One Another) will take place with Yermolenko and Austrian philosopher Lisz Hirn on heroism, sacrifice and the limits of liberal thought, moderated by Stefan Gmünder.
The discussion will be interpreted by Onufriv.
On 28 November, four events will take place featuring Chornohuz, Yermolenko, Ivanenko, Laiuk, Hrytsak and Ohryzko.
At 10:10 in the Donau Lounge, in the discussion “Russland, das letzte Imperium? Warum wir die Gefahr erst sehen, wenn es zu spät ist” (Russia, the Last Empire? Why We Only See the Danger When It Is Too Late), Chornohuz will speak with military analyst Franz-Stefan Gady about what decolonisation means for Ukraine, both on the front line and in culture. The moderator will be Date.
The discussion will be interpreted by Onufriv.
At 12:30 at the Die STANDARD-Bühne, a meeting with Yermolenko titled “Eine Kultur des Trotzdem” (A Culture of Defiance) will address how Ukraine repeatedly achieves the impossible. The event will be moderated by Gmünder.
“Eine Kultur des Trotzdem” is the title of Yermolenko’s book. According to the description, its idea is that despite Europe’s help during the war, Ukraine also supports Europe with its experience of fighting for values.
The book was published by the German publisher “edition.fotoTAPETA” in 2026. The translation from Ukrainian was done by Jutta Lindekugel and Tine Hammer.
The event will be held in English.
At 15:00 in the Donau Lounge, the discussion “Zeugnis in Wort und Bild” (Testimony in Words and Images) will take place with Ivanenko and Laiuk, moderated by philosopher Ludger Hagedorn, on how literature and art document the war and why it matters.
The discussion will be interpreted by Onufriv.
At 19:00 at the RadioKulturhaus, the discussion “Das Ende der Gewissheiten?” (The End of Certainty?) will take place with Ohryzko, Hrytsak and Austrian historian, military expert and officer in the Austrian Armed Forces Markus Reisner on the future of European security.
The discussion will be interpreted by Onufriv.
The event will be held in cooperation with IWM Vienna.
On 29 November at 12:00 at the ORF-Bühne, the final discussion within “Update Ukraine” will take place—“Der Schaffner wollte die Kerzen nicht anzünden” (The Conductor Did Not Want to Light the Candles)—with Petrovska and Maliarchuk. The meeting will be moderated by Gasser.
“Der Schaffner wollte die Kerzen nicht anzünden” is a collection compiled and edited by Petrovska. According to the description, the book presents the complexity of Ukrainian short stories and novels from the first half of the 20th century. Among the authors whose works are included are Mykhailo Kotsiubynskyi, Ivan Franko, Olha Kobylianska, Olena Pchilka and others.
The German translation of the collection was done by Iryna Bondas. Maliarchuk also worked on editing the book. The book was published by “Wallstein” as part of the “Ukrainian Library” series in 2026.
The event will be held in cooperation with the Federal Agency for Civic Education and Netzwerk der Literaturhäuser.
The meetings programme was curated by Maliarchuk, and the project curator is Oliver Zille, the Vienna Book Fair’s international relations officer.
In addition, on 26 November a Ukrainian book stand will be opened on the initiative of the Embassy of Ukraine in Austria, and the arts project “Design in Wartime” (Design in War), created in cooperation between Ukraine and Austria, will be presented.
“Update Ukraine” is organised with the support of the Embassy of Ukraine in Austria; the Ukrainian Institute; the Ukrainian Book Institute; Austria’s Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs; Austria’s Federal Ministry of Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport; IWM Vienna; ERSTE Shiftung; the Federal Agency for Civic Education; Office Ukraine. Support for Ukrainian Artists; and Netzwerk der Literatur Häuser.
About the “Bich Wein” book fair:
- the third-largest German-language book fair and festival, held in Vienna since 2008;
- the fair’s programme focuses on new publications in German-language literature;
- in 2025, around 72,000 people attended the event;
- organised with the support of Austria’s Federal Ministry of Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport, the City of Vienna and Literar-Mechana Perceptionsgesellschaft für Urheberrechte Ges.m.b.H..