IvAlive Meets Poet Yuri Andrukhovych in Switzerland: When Words Have Power

In May, our team had the chance to visit the Fondation Jan Michalski — a unique literary center in the heart of Switzerland. It's a place built to support writers and artists, and it naturally sparks meaningful conversations and fresh ideas.

We were there for the BIBLIOTOPIA literary festival, held at the foundation. One of the most anticipated events was a meeting with the Ukrainian poet Yuri Andrukhovych. The topic of the discussion — “Dissident Voices: The Power of Artistic Imagination” — felt especially powerful and relevant in today’s world.

After his talk, we approached Mr. Andrukhovych — book in hand, hearts full of gratitude. We had a few minutes of sincere, personal exchange, during which he kindly signed copies of his works translated into English and French. These editions are now part of our library, open to everyone who wants to dive deeper into contemporary Ukrainian literature.

And there was a warm promise: next time, Yuri Andrukhovych will visit us at KnygAlive.

About the Author:

Yuri Andrukhovych is a Ukrainian poet, novelist, essayist, translator, and rock musician. Since the early 1990s, he has been a leading voice in modern Ukrainian literature. His works have been translated into many languages, and he has received some of Europe’s most respected literary awards — including the Hannah Arendt Prize (2014) and the Heinrich Heine Prize (2022).

His latest novel, Radio Nuit, is a surreal story of a pianist resisting a new kind of totalitarianism through radio waves. With its gripping narrative and thought-provoking themes, the novel is already being read and discussed in multiple languages around the world.

We came back from Bibliotopia feeling enriched — by the conversations, the setting, and the human connection. Once again, we were reminded: words truly have power.

We’ll continue sharing everything Ukraine — through books, through conversations, and through meaningful encounters.