About This Event

A meeting with Ukrainian war writers and soldiers Yevhen Shybalov and Dmytro Krapyvenko in Dublin. Ukrainian journalists Yevhen Shybalov and Dmytro Krapyvenko had worked for years at leading Ukrainian media outlets. They had no military background. But when Russia invaded Ukraine, they voluntarily joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine to defend their country. They found themselves in a completely new environment, surrounded by people from vastly different professions and backgrounds. They had to sacrifice their comfort, face real danger, and follow many strict — and sometimes unjustified — rules. In these circumstances, humor and irony helped them accept and adapt to a new reality. Drawing on their own experiences and those of their comrades, they have created books in which humor, irony, and even a touch of sarcasm sit naturally alongside simplicity and sincerity. Perhaps that is what makes these stories so compelling and easy to read. In September, both authors will come to Dublin and will be ready to share, first-hand, what the war in Ukraine is like. 📅 Saturday, 12 September, 6:00 pm 📍 Trinity College Dublin: Debating Chamber and Phil Conversation Room, Graduate Memorial Building (GMB), Dublin D02 PN40 The event will be held in both Ukrainian and English. After the meeting, you will be able to purchase their books in Ukrainian and have them personally signed by the authors. *** Yevhen Shybalov is a Ukrainian journalist, writer, and veteran of the Russo-Ukrainian War. For more than eight years, Yevhen served as the Donetsk-based correspondent for the Ukrainian newspaper Mirror of the Week. On February 24, 2022, he voluntarily joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a grenade launcher rifleman, taking part in combat operations in the Kyiv, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions. Captured by Russian forces in May 2022, Yevhen spent seven months as a prisoner of war. After being released in a prisoner exchange, he continued his military service as a drone operator. In 2024, he was demobilized from the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Yevhen is the author of the books Military Haiku and The Game of Numbers, which recount his experiences in captivity and the stories of his comrades. A recipient of the Professional Honor Ukrainian Journalism Award, Yevhen also completed the Veteran Scholarship Program at INDEX: Institute of Documentation and Interaction. *** Dmytro Krapyvenko is a Ukrainian journalist, writer, lecturer, and member of PEN Ukraine. For seven years, he was the editor-in-chief of The Ukrainian Week, one of Ukraine's leading news outlets. His work has also appeared in foreign media, including Lithuanian and Estonian publications. At the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces, where he continues to serve. In 2025, Ukraїner published his debut essay collection, Everything in Three Letters, based on his personal combat experience. In 2025, he was shortlisted for the prestigious Ukrainian literary Yuriy Shevelyov Prize. His book was also recognized as one of the best Ukrainian books in the prose and autofiction category of the Chytomo Picks list. *** The event will be moderated by Natalya Korniyenko, a Ukrainian journalist and writer based in Ireland. Organisers: Ukrainian Cultural Centre in Ireland, CU Theater, and Ukrainian Crisis Centre in Ireland (UCCI).

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