The BBC News Ukraine Book of the Year contest has launched across the BBC News Ukraine service. Awarded by the BBC in partnership with the Cultural Programme of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the literary accolade will select the BBC Book of the Year (Книга року BBC); BBC Children’s Book of the Year (Дитяча Книга року BBC), and BBC Book of the Year – Essays (Книга року ВВС – Есеїстика) for 2023. The jury will consider translations of books by Ukrainian authors writing in all languages of Ukraine.

BBC News Ukraine editor and the Awards jury chair, Marta Shokalo, says: "Once again, we will choose the year’s best Ukrainian literary work amidst the war, destruction, suffering and sacrifice that dominate the Ukrainian minds and discourse. We invite our audience, wherever they are, to join us as we explore new writing in the Ukrainian language, and celebrate the 2023 winners of the prize."

Svitlana Pyrkalo, EBRD cultural advisor, says: "Millions of Ukrainians across Europe and the world are now looking for new Ukrainian books, especially for the children who now receive schooling in a new language in a foreign country. BBC Book of the Year is more important than ever to highlight the best of modern Ukrainian literature for adults and children, in Ukraine and abroad, with the continued support from EBRD Cultural Programme."

The awards are judged by:
Vira Ageyeva, professor, Ukraine National University “Kiev-Mohyla Academy”
Vitaliy Chepinoha, blogger
Vitalii Chernetsky, professor, the University of Kansas
Svitlana Pyrkalo, EBRD cultural advisor
Marta Shokalo, BBC News Ukraine editor

The winning author in each category will be awarded a Ukrainian hryvnya equivalent of £1,000. The publishers of the BBC Book of the Year, BBC Children’s Book of the Year and BBC Book of the Year – Essays will have the right to use the logos of the BBC News Ukraine book awards on subsequent editions.

Publishers can submit up to three books in each category, and books by previous winners. Submitted books must be in the Ukrainian language (original works or translations), published within the last 12 months. For detailed Terms and Conditions and Privacy Notice, go to bbc.ua. Nominations can be sent between 11 September and 11 October, 2023. The readers can send their reviews to Book.Award.Ukrainian@bbc.co.uk between 28 October and 25 November, 2023.

The longlists, the shortlists and the winners in each category, as well as the Reader of the Year prize which awards the best book review submitted by the BBC News Ukraine audience members, are selected by the jury. The winners will be announced in December 2023.