The story behind
Olha is a writer and book editor of children’s books with an experience of more than 10 years. In March after the war started in Ukraine she relocated together with her daughter to Poland. Currently she is working on a series of books targeted to teenagers, about their adaptation to emigration during the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Through their eyes
“I was provided with a grant by MAX – MakersXchange Ukrainian Artists & Creatives Grant & Support Program, which gave me the possibility to work on a text. In July – September I have been working on my newest novel The Lady in the Emigration («Панна в еміграції»). An extract was published in the Polish-Ukrainian journal Posestry. The Lady in the Emigration is a novel for teenagers. It is written in the form of three diaries of 14-year old girls from Ukraine, who escaped from Kyiv in the first days after February 24. One of them, Olya, left in Lviv with her mother, who has bipolar disorder. Instead of being a child, Olya takes care of her mother while her father protects the country in The Armed Forces of Ukraine. Two others, Sofia and Diana, emigrated to Kraków, Poland. Diana’s mom couldn’t leave Kyiv because of their disordered grandmother. Diana took her little brother with her. Now, instead of being a child, she should be like a mother to her 6-years-old brother. Sofia is stressed because of her elder brother, who works in The Territorial Defence Forces, in Kyiv. Her father volunteers as a host for those who lost their homes. Also, she experienced worldview changes, and she argued with her boyfriend, who stayed in Kyiv. During the period of July – September 2022, I wrote 20 pages of the novel and I continue working on it.”
More about Olha Kupriian
Work Experience 2013 – present editor of the children’s reading support project “BaraBooka. Space of the Ukrainian children’s book”, methodologist of the children’s reading laboratory of the National Center “Small Academy of Sciences of Ukraine”.
National Literature Contests for Children
“Top BaraBooks”
“Critic’s Rating”
“Espresso. Readers’ choice”
“Nash Format” publishing house manuscript competition.
Author of 10 books for children and teenagers of various ages.
The novel “Lola’s Diary” was awarded the “LitAccent of the Year 2018” award.
“I, Nina” (2019), in co-authorship with journalist Yanina Sokolovawhich received the BookForum Best Book Award 2020 in the “Modern Ukrainian Prose” category.
Residencies
“Borderlands” fund (Krasnogruda, Poland, 2022).
“International House of Writers and Translators” (Ventspils, Latvia, 2022).
“Krakow – UNESCO City of Literature” by KBF (Poland, 2022).
“Author’s House” (Zakynthos Island, Greece, 2020).
Mariya Trasyuk is a product manager and colour forecasting expert, working on new trends in the world of fashion. MakersXchange Ukrainian Artists & Creatives Support Program gave her the chance to further expand her skills.
The story behind
Mariya is a product manager and colour forecasting expert from Ukraine. In March after war started in her country, she had to leave together with her young daughter while pregnant with her second child. Currently they live in Czech Republic at her parents’ house. Due to the intense care her newborn child requires, she doesn’t have the ability to fully return to the job market, so she started looking for a remote job or educational courses to improve her skills.
Through their eyes
“I would like to thank the Ukrainian artists & creatives support program for the moral support of creative people in such a difficult time. Being far from home with two small children, it was difficult for me to return to creative projects, since I didn’t have enough psychological forces at the time. After contacting the program and having the interview, I realised that I have to keep working and that will give me strength. Now I am engaged in self-development in the field of trend forecasting. Thanks to the grant support, I purchased the workbook “The trend forecasters handbook” by Martin Raymond, which I am currently working on. Of course, almost all of my day goes to taking care of my small child, but I try to find time to improve my knowledge and skills. I also promote Ukrainian brands, the demand for which has recently increased. I am monitoring the participation of Ukrainian brands from clothing and household items in exhibitions and showrooms abroad and refer my acquaintances and colleagues there. Thank you for your support!”
More about Mariya Tarasyuk
Work Experience
2022 Oltmans van Niekerk Freelance Color forecaster.
2016 – 2019 Kachorovska Manager at Design Bureau Kachorovska.
2014 – 2016 Feja Morfeja, Designer, Project manager.
2010 – 2012 Wella Ukraine, Procter & Gamble Editor in Chief Magazine Salon Cosmetic Service.
