The Ukraine Shelf
The Ukraine Shelf
Podcast Description
In this podcast, Dr Olesya Khromeychuk and Dr Uilleam Blacker speak to leading authors, intellectuals, scholars and journalists about Ukraine and its place in the world.Ukraine is at the centre of world events today, and understanding the country’s politics, history and culture has never been more important. The Ukraine Shelf talks to leading authors, intellectuals, scholars and journalists about what we should be reading to understand Ukraine and its place in the world. The Ukraine Shelf is co-sponsored by the UCL European Institute, the Ukrainian Institute London, and the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies, with the support of the British Academy.The podcast is presented by Dr Olesya Khromeychuk and Dr Uilleam Blacker.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on topics related to Ukraine's politics, history, and culture, featuring episodes that delve into significant historical events such as the annexation of Crimea and thematic discussions around contemporary literature, with specific episodes like the one discussing Rory Finnin's book Blood of Others exploring the historical context and impact of these events.
In this podcast, Dr Olesya Khromeychuk and Dr Uilleam Blacker speak to leading authors, intellectuals, scholars and journalists about Ukraine and its place in the world.
Ukraine is at the centre of world events today, and understanding the country’s politics, history and culture has never been more important. The Ukraine Shelf talks to leading authors, intellectuals, scholars and journalists about what we should be reading to understand Ukraine and its place in the world. The Ukraine Shelf is co-sponsored by the UCL European Institute, the Ukrainian Institute London, and the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies, with the support of the British Academy.
The podcast is presented by Dr Olesya Khromeychuk and Dr Uilleam Blacker.
The Ukraine Shelf Episode 7: Reporting War with Myroslav Laiuk and Luke Harding
In this episode Olesya Khromeychuk and Uilleam Blacker are joined by Luke Harding, award-winning Guardian correspondent, and Myroslav Laiuk, one of Ukraine’s leading writers, to discuss writing war reportage. Luke has been reporting on global conflicts for many years and wrote one of the first and best accounts of the early days of the Russian invasion of 2022 in his Invasion: Russia’s Bloody War and Ukraine’s Fight for Survival (Faber, 2022). Before 2022, Myroslav was known mainly as a poet and novelist, but since then he has turned to writing non-fiction. His Bakhmut (Ukrainer, 2023) and Spysky (Lists, Ukrainer, 2025). Myroslav and Luke discussed their experiences of reporting from the frontlines, the challenges of finding a language to describe war, the problem of neutrality (and whether it is possible in wartime), and more in this brilliant discussion.
Books discussed:
Luke Harding, Invasion: Russia’s Bloody War and Ukraine’s Fight for Survival (Faber, 2022)
Luke Harding, Betrayal: Trump, Putin and the New Age of Conquest (Faber, 2026)
Myroslav Laiuk, Bakhmut(Ukrainer, 2023 – published in English)
Myroslav Laiuk, Spysky(Lists, Ukrainer, 2025 – in Ukrainian).
Guests’ recommendations:
Luke: Julian Evans, Undefeatable: Odesa in Love and War(Scotland Street Press, 2024).
Myroslav: The Pateryk of the Kyivan Caves Monastery (early 13th century). Available online in a 1989 translation by Muriel Heppell and published by Harvard University Press here.
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