Materyzna

Anastasiia Lytvynenko is the author of the novella “Materyzna”, a Kharkiv native who remains one wherever she goes. She began her literary career in her youth, initially focusing on poetry. After publishing two small poetry collections she took a long creative pause to gather experience and refine her language for prose.

A summer trip to a village as part of a philology field practice gradually turns into an inward journey for the student Ira. While collecting materials and speaking with local women, she uncovers stories about her family lineage — and about herself.

This is a contemporary Ukrainian novella about belonging to a place one seemingly does not know, yet which has always been waiting for them.