The Reception of Serhiy Zhadan in Europe

Abstract

Serhiy Zhadan is a famous Ukrainian writer, translator, musician and social activist. In today’s Ukraine, he has become one the most vocal opponents of war and supporters of Ukraine’s independence. German newspaper “Die Zeit” called him a “poet against fear” (German: „ein Dichter gegen die Angst“). While Zhadan’s poetry undoubtedly explores some heavy topics including death, loss of loved ones, loss of home, loneliness, despair, and abandon, it is still full of vivid energy, liveliness and hope for a better future. His bestselling works include prose novels “Depeche Mode” (2004), “Voroshilovgrad” (2010), “Mesopotamia” (2014), “The Orphanage” (2017), and poetry collections “Life of Maria” (2015), “Templars” (2016), “Antenna” (2018) and others.