On February 5-8, Ukrainian writers Kateryna Babkina and Iryna Vikyrchak with the support of the Embassy of Ukraine in India participated in the Second Dibrugarh University International Literature Festival 2025 (DUILF) organised by Dibrugarh University in association with the Foundation for Arts, Culture and Literature (FOCAL).
In 2024, Ukrainian writers Halyna Kruk and Irena Karpa took part in the first edition of the festival. Ukraine's participation in this Festival for the second consecutive year underscores our commitment to deepening cultural dialogue with India.
The DUILF was envisioned as a celebration of literature and a platform for dialogue among writers, poets, and literary enthusiasts from around the world. It brought together nearly 8,000 students and over 125 writers and poets from more than 25 countries.
The four-day event featured a variety of activities, including panel discussions, in-conversation sessions, reading events, book signings, workshops, and cultural programs. Both authors presented writing workshops and engaged in fascinating discussions with the audience.
Thank you, dear writers, for your valuable participation and expertise sharing!
Congratulations to the organisers of #dibrulitfest for creating such a remarkable platform for cross-cultural exchange! Special appreciation goes to Mr. Rahul Jain for his initiative and exceptional efforts!
Looking forward to continued cooperation!
Kateryna Babkina is the author of four poetry collections (Lights of Saint Elm, 2002, The Mustard, 2011, Painkillers and Sleeping Pills, 2014, Charmed for Love, 2017, Does not Hurt, 2021), a novel (Sonia, 2013), a novel in short stories (My Grandfather Danced the Best, 2019) and two collections of stories (Lilu after you, 2008 and Happy naked people, 2016). She has also written books for kids (The Pumpkin Year, The Hat and the Whale, The Snow Warm and Girls Power (the last co-authored with Mark Livin), which are extremely popular in Ukraine.
Kateryna was the first Ukrainian author to be invited to have readings in the Library of Congress, Washington, USA.
Kateryna Babkina writes for Esquire Ukraine, Le Monde, Harper's Bazaar and other media. Her poetry was published in several anthologies and almanacks (The Kenyon Review, Washington Square Review (USA), Poem (UK) etc.). Her writings have been translated into English, Swedish, Polish, German, Hebrew, French, Spanish, Romanian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Czech and Greek. Her plays were staged in Kyiv, Vienna and Geneva.
In 2021 Kateryna Babkina won the Angelus Central European Literature Award for the My Grandfather Danced Better Than Anyone Else published in Polish language.
Iryna Vikyrchak is a Ukrainian cultural manager, poetess and translator. She chaired the Meridian Czernowitz Festival and founded the Intermezzo Short Story Festival and Cultour.Ua literary tours. She is a curator of Ukrainian events within the frameworks of the Conrad Festival (Krakow), Read My World Festival (Amsterdam), Leipziger Buchmesse (Leipzig), and others.
She worked as director of the EU’s Creative Europe National Bureau and Director Deputy of the Development Department at the Lviv City Council.