Jan Michalski Prize for Literature
1 appearances
-
Edition 5 (2014) Winner
Serhiy Zhadan
セルヒーイ・ヴィクトロヴィチ・ジャダン
Serhiy Zhadan
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1974-08-23 （Starobilsk, Luhansk Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union）
- Nationality
- Ukrainian
- Languages
- Ukrainian, Russian, English (translations/publications)
- Residence History
- Starobilsk (birthplace) → Kharkiv (primary base of activity)
Career
- Occupations
- poet, novelist, translator, musician, social activist
- Active Years
- 1990-
- Affiliations
- Taras Shevchenko National Award Committee (member, 2016–2019)
- Influenced By
- Mykhaylo Semenko (Ukrainian Futurist), Ukrainian avant-garde writers of the 1920s, Johanssen (referenced avant-garde poet)
- Nominations
- Nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature by the Polish Academy of Sciences (2022)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University | — | Philology (languages and literature) | — | 1992–1996 | Ukraine |
H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University
Philology (languages and literature)
Period:
1992–1996
Year of Graduation:
1996
Country:
Ukraine
Graduated with a thesis on Mykhaylo Semenko and Ukrainian Futurist writers of the 1920s
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Jan Michalski Prize for Literature | Voroshylovhrad | — | Jan Michalski Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2014 | BBC Ukrainian Book of the Decade | Voroshylovhrad | — | BBC Ukrainian | 受賞 |
| 2015 | Angelus Award | Mesopotamia | — | Angelus Jury / Angelus Festival (Poland) | 受賞 |
| 2022 | EBRD Literature Prize | The Orphanage | — | European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) | 受賞 |
| 2022 | Friedenspreis des Deutschen Buchhandels | — | — | German Book Trade Peace Prize (German Booksellers Association) | 受賞 |
| 2025 | Austrian State Prize for European Literature | — | — | Austrian State | 受賞 |
Jan Michalski Prize for Literature
2014
Work:
Voroshylovhrad
Organization:
Jan Michalski Foundation
Result:
受賞
BBC Ukrainian Book of the Decade
2014
Work:
Voroshylovhrad
Organization:
BBC Ukrainian
Result:
受賞
Angelus Award
2015
Work:
Mesopotamia
Organization:
Angelus Jury / Angelus Festival (Poland)
Result:
受賞
EBRD Literature Prize
2022
Work:
The Orphanage
Organization:
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
Result:
受賞
Friedenspreis des Deutschen Buchhandels
2022
Organization:
German Book Trade Peace Prize (German Booksellers Association)
Result:
受賞
Austrian State Prize for European Literature
2025
Organization:
Austrian State
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Angelus Central European Literature Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 10 (2015) Winner
Works
Major Works
Voroshylovhrad
2010 Novel (contemporary fiction) 320 pagesA story of Herman, who returns to his native lands in eastern Ukraine to protect what belongs to him. The novel evokes industrial landscapes of the Donbas, generational divides, violence and solidarity.
homelandindustrial Donbasgeneration and memory
Adaptations
- [Film] The Wild Fields / Yaroslav Lodygin (2018)
Translations
- English translation 'Voroshylovgrad' (Deep Vellum, 2016)
Mesopotamia
2014 Collection of short stories and poems 280 pagesA mix of short stories and poems that depict post-industrial landscapes, loss and estrangement in everyday life. The book received international recognition in translation.
memorywar and returncity and periphery
Translations
- Polish translation (Angelus-winning edition)
The Orphanage
2017 Novel 240 pagesA novel about a closed institution and the people who live there, portraying the lives of those placed on the margins of society.
isolationsocial marginsfrailty of human relations
Translations
- English translation 'The Orphanage' (Reilly Costigan‑Humes & Isaac Stackhouse Wheeler)
Bibliography
- Quotations (1995)
- Voroshylovgrad (2010)
- Mesopotamia (2014)
- The Orphanage (2017)
Adaptations
- Film 'The Wild Fields' (2018, dir. Yaroslav Lodygin)
- Stage adaptation: 'Anthem of Democratic Youth' performed at Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theater in Kyiv
Translations by Author
- Poems by Paul Celan (translated into Ukrainian)
- Poems by Charles Bukowski (translated into Ukrainian)
Translations of Works
- English translation 'Voroshylovgrad' (Deep Vellum, 2016)
- English translation 'Mesopotamia' (Yale University Press, 2018)
- English translation 'The Orphanage' (Yale University Press, 2021)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- avant-garde, improvisational poetic styleblend of prosaic poetry and poetic proseregional, realist depiction of everyday life
- Recurring Motifs
- landscapes of eastern Ukrainewar, violence and their aftermathyouth culture and rebellion
Legacy
A leading figure of contemporary Ukrainian literature, known for works set in eastern Ukraine and for active social and humanitarian engagement. Influential across poetry, prose, translation and music, and recipient of multiple international literary awards.
Academic Societies
- Taras Shevchenko National Award Committee (former member)
In Popular Culture
- Featured in a McDonald's Ukraine TV commercial (2024), writing and reciting a poem
- Music collaborations with bands such as Zhadan and the Dogs
Quotes
-
“I’m not a nationalist. A patriot — yes. I’m a patriot and I love my country, my homeland. I’m a citizen of Ukraine who loves his country and tries to help.”
Source: Interview excerpt (as cited in public interviews) (2014)
Trivia
- Reported to have joined the 13th 'Khartia' Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine in June 2024.
- The 2018 film 'The Wild Fields' is an adaptation of his novel Voroshylovgrad.
- Featured in a McDonald's Ukraine TV commercial in 2024, writing and reciting a poem.
- Internationally known author with translations into many languages.