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Oleksandr Mykhed is a writer. Until March 2022, he lived in Kyiv; he is now enlisted in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He is the author of nine books; selected essays and excerpts from his books have been translated into ten languages. He has participated in literary residencies in Finland, Latvia, Iceland, the USA and France, and a virtual residency at Oxford University. He has written for publications including The Financial Times, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and The Guardian, and has appeared as a guest on CNN and NPR. He is a member of PEN Ukraine.
A stunning account of life in a time of war. If this doesn’t make you look up from your screen to reflect on Ukraine, then nothing will… often heart-rending… this is far more than history, invaluable as his detailed reporting is. As well as a reckoning with Russia, it is also a reflection on humanity in any war -- Alec Russell * Financial Times * What role for the artist in times of catastrophe? An important book and a painful piece of history… brilliant -- Luke Harding * Observer * A vivid account of invasion and the struggle to find the words to describe a new reality: war * Financial Times * A harrowing recount of life as a Ukrainian during the first months of Russia’s invasion – a timely reminder of its ever-presence for the millions living through it. It is, in that sense, a book not about Ukraine but about Ukrainians. . . it will compel you to care * Independent * In The Language of War, the author himself is the eyewitness… the book brims with horror… Mykhed wields a skilful, angry pen * Economist * A detailed, on-the-ground account, reminding us of the atrocities that are changing life in Ukraine forever… The Language of War eats into the mind like phosphorus -- Robin Ashenden * Spectator * Mykhed focusses on how culture and, in particular, language have become important theatres of war… a clever, passionate book -- Roger Boyes * The Times * Before 24 February 2022, writer Oleksandr Mykhed and his wife, Olena, had an enviable life. In 2018 they’d bought a three-storey townhouse in Hostomel, a suburb of Kyiv. On Saturdays, they’d go out for brunch and walk their dog in the forest... Then came 24 February... Within less than a week, life had completely transformed... The Language of War is a book written in the moment, charting the first year of Russia's invasion... scattering fragments of his exploded past through the brutal reality of a grindingly violent present -- Charlotte Higgins * Observer * Each piece of writing here helps us to understand a reality that we can and must repair. This book has helped me and will help anyone who wishes to understand war -- Timothy Snyder, author of ON TYRANNY In this vital work, Mykhed takes on the challenge of finding a language to convey the horror and absurdity of war, and succeeds with devastating impact. One cannot ever truly capture the reality and enormity of war, but can only document fragments of events and snapshots of people’s lives. Mykhed skilfully collates these fragments - recollections, anecdotes, portraits and conversations, interspersed with a catalogue of war crimes - into a uniquely powerful account of what has happened to our country and our people since February 2022. Both deeply personal and of universal and lasting significance, this book should be required reading for humankind -- Mstyslav Chernov, Oscar-winning director of 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL
