PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
November 16, 2024
The Hryhorii Kochur Award is a major state honor in Ukraine that celebrates excellence in poetic translation and has traditionally been awarded for translations of classical works into Ukrainian. This is the first time a work by a contemporary poet, translated by a fellow poet and soldier, has received this recognition—a significant milestone for both the author and the translator.
Los Angeles, CA – River Paw Press is honored to announce that Love Letters to Ukraine from Uyava—Любовні листи до України від Уяви, a poetry collection by Kalpna Singh-Chitnis, translated into Ukrainian by Volodymyr Tymchuk, a poet, translator, and Lieutenant Colonel in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has been awarded the prestigious 2024 Hryhorii Kochur Award. This award, presented to Volodymyr Tymchuk for his outstanding translation, recognizes the creative collaboration and cultural significance of the bilingual edition of the book published by River Paw Press.
The Hryhorii Kochur Award is a major state honor in Ukraine that celebrates excellence in poetic translation and has traditionally been awarded for translations of classical works into Ukrainian. This is the first time a work by a contemporary poet, translated by a fellow poet and soldier, has received this recognition—a significant milestone for both the author and the translator.
Administered by the Ukrainian Center of the Hryhorii Kochur Institute of Art, this state award includes a prize of 20,000 UAH and is presented each year on Kochur’s birthday. This award is managed by a committee composed of members from Ukraine’s State Arts Institute, the T.H. Shevchenko Institute of Literature, and the National Writers’ Union of Ukraine.
A creative evening with Hryhorii Kochur Prize laureate Volodymyr Tymchuk was held on November 15, 2024, at the National Museum of Literature of Ukraine in Kyiv, followed by the opening of the Kochur Literary Fest on November 16 in Irpin, the birthplace of Hryhorii Kochur, where Volodymyr Tymchuk accepted this prestigious honor. Kalpna Singh-Chitnis joined the celebration virtually, marking a significant moment of literary and cultural solidarity.
About Hryhorii Kochur Literary Award
Established in 2009, the Hryhorii Kochur Award honors exceptional contributions to poetic translation in Ukraine, promoting cultural exchange and the preservation of world literature within Ukraine. Administered by the Ukrainian Center of the Hryhorii Kochur Institute of Art, this state award includes a prize of 20,000 UAH and is presented each year on November 17, Kochur’s birthday. This award is managed by a committee composed of members from Ukraine’s State Arts Institute, the T.H. Shevchenko Institute of Literature, and the National Writers’ Union of Ukraine. Since 2021, the State Agency for Arts and Artistic Education has provided organizational support for the award, furthering its reach. Noteworthy past recipients of the Kochur Award include: Maxym Strikha (2021) for his translation of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Serhiy Borshchevskyi (2014) for translations of Spanish poets, including Jorge Luis Borges, and Olena O’Lear (2012) for the translation of Beowulf. The award is regarded as one of Ukraine’s most prestigious honors for literary translation, akin to the UK’s Oxford-Weidenfeld Prize and the National Translation Award in the USA, both of which also emphasize excellence in literary translation.
About Kochur Literary Fest
Alongside the award, the Kochur-Fest held in Irpin, every year fosters connections with global writers, promoting Ukrainian literature and strengthening cultural ties worldwide. The festival aims to integrate Ukrainian literature into the international literary community, fostering cross-cultural exchanges through translation.
About Hryhorii Kochur
Hryhorii Kochur (1908–1994) was a celebrated Ukrainian translator, poet, and literary scholar known for his profound contributions to Ukrainian literature and cultural preservation. His life and work stand as a testament to resilience, cultural pride, and literary brilliance. Kochur was not just a translator; he was a guardian of Ukrainian culture and a bridge to the world’s literary treasures. His translations of Shakespeare, Dante, Goethe, and Byron into Ukrainian did more than enrich the nation’s literature—they preserved Ukraine’s linguistic beauty and intellectual spirit, even under Soviet repression. Kochur’s unwavering commitment to sharing world classics with his people, despite his own imprisonment and persecution, was a powerful act of cultural resistance. His legacy inspires countless Ukrainian writers and translators today, reminding us of the profound influence one voice can have in the face of adversity. The Hryhorii Kochur Award, named in his honor, continues his mission by celebrating excellence in translation and fostering a deep connection between Ukraine and the world’s literary heritage.
About Kalpna Singh-Chitnis
Kalpna Singh-Chitnis is an award-winning Indian-American poet, writer, and filmmaker whose work transcends cultural boundaries, blending elements of Eastern spirituality with Western literary traditions. Known for her poetry collections, including Trespassing My Ancestral Lands and Bare Soul, she explores themes of resilience, loss, and hope. Her commitment to the Ukrainian cause led her to compile and edit Sunflowers: Ukrainian Poetry on War, Resistance, Hope, and Peace, an anthology amplifying the voices of Ukrainian poets and fostering cultural resistance through literature. Love Letters to Ukraine from Uyava, her poetic tribute to Ukraine’s struggle for freedom and resilience, stands as a testament to her dedication to the Ukrainian people. Her work not only strengthens Ukrainian cultural resistance but also builds bridges between the United States, India, and Ukraine through poetry.
About Volodymyr Tymchuk
Volodymyr Tymchuk is a Ukrainian writer, translator, and lieutenant colonel in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, participating in the Joint Forces Operation. He holds a Ph.D. in Technical Sciences and teaches at the Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi National Ground Forces Academy. Born in 1979 in Zakarpattia, Tymchuk is the author of poetry collections such as Spring Whirlpools (2009), Burn! Survive! Win! (2016), In an Angelic Manner (2019), Azov… Engraved (2020), From the Infinity of Hetmanate (2021), and Between Cosmos and Petrykivka (2024). He has also authored epic poems such as Donetsk Airport and Hutsul Uprising (both 2014) and a collection of poetic translations, In the Flow of Translation and Diversity (2017), among other works. He compiled the Ukrainian and Ukrainian-French anthology In principio erat Verbum. Ukraine: Poetry of War Time. Tymchuk is a recipient of the Bohdan Khmelnytskyi Award for the best representation of military themes in literature and art, the Markiian Shashkevych Lviv Regional Cultural Award in the Poetry category, and the Hryhorii Kochur Award for translating Kalpna Singh-Chitnis’s poetry collection Love Letters to Ukraine from Uyava into Ukrainian.
About River Paw Press
River Paw Press is dedicated to publishing voices that bridge cultures and foster empathy. We are deeply honored to see Love Letters to Ukraine from Uyava—Любовні листи до України від Уяви recognized with the Hryhorii Kochur Award, a distinction that reaffirms our mission to bring meaningful and transformative literature to a global audience.
Book Trailer: To experience a preview of Love Letters to Ukraine from Uyava—Любовні листи до України від Уяви, watch the book trailer HERE.
Contact: For more information about Love Letters to Ukraine from Uyava—Любовні листи до України від Уяви or to request interviews, please contact:
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