By Svitlana  Pyrkalo @ebrdsvitlana

BBC News Ukraine has revealed the winners of its 2023 Book of the Year awards, presented in partnership with the Cultural Programme of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

The winners were announced at a ceremony at the Readeat bookstore in Kyiv:

Ladder (Драбина) (publisher: Vydavnytstvo Staroho Leva, Lviv, 2023) by Yevheniya Kuznyetsova  – BBC Book of the Year 2023

Anna Yaroslavna: Princess of Kyiv – Queen of France (Анна Ярославна: київська князівна – королева Франції) (publisher: A-BA-BA-GA-LA-MA-GA, Kyiv, 2023) by Ivan Malkovych – BBC Children’s Book of the Year 2023

The Adventures of Ukrainian Literature (from romanticism to postmodernism) (Пригоди української літератури (від романтизму до постмодернізму)) (publisher: Tempora, Kyiv, 2023) by Rostyslav Semkiv – BBC Book of the Year – Essays 2023

BBC News Ukraine editor and awards jury chair Marta Shokalo said: “Very often, the book that wins our contest goes on to become a bestseller. But this year, popular recognition has overtaken us. Ladder by Yevheniya Kuznyetsova has been prominently displayed in every Ukrainian bookstore for a long time now. This is truly a people’s novel about war, and it could not fail to become BBC Book of the Year 2023.”

Commenting on the winner in the essays category, Marta Shokalo said: “There are books that are good and there are books – like The Adventures of Ukrainian Literature – that are milestones. Rostyslav Semkiv created a fascinating tale that reminds us of the power of literature at times of great upheaval. It’s hard to imagine a book that conveys the essence of our contest better than this one.”

Awards jury member and EBRD cultural programme advisor Svitlana Pyrkalo said: “In the 11 years since the launch of the ВВС Children’s Book of the Year, we have recognised a wide variety of literature for our youngest readers, from humorous fairy tales to high-paced adventure stories. This year’s winner recounts a piece of ancient history, which shows Ukraine as part of the wider European culture. But it is also a story of going into the unknown, overcoming new challenges and, ultimately, a story of love. Beautifully illustrated, Ivan Malkovych’s book will be a delight for the whole family.”

The winning author in each category is awarded the Ukrainian hryvnia equivalent of £1,000. The publishers of the winning books will have the right to use the logo of the BBC News Ukraine Book awards on subsequent editions.

This year’s awards were judged by:

Vira Ageyeva, professor, Ukraine National University Kyiv-Mohyla Academy,

Vitaliy Chepynoha, blogger

Vitaly Chernetsky, professor, University of Kansas

Svitlana Pyrkalo, EBRD cultural advisor

Marta Shokalo, BBC News Ukraine editor

This year’s winners of the Reader of the Year 2023 title and prize (a Kindle e-book) for the best reader reviews are: Polina Boyko for her review of Ivan Malkovych’s Anna Yaroslavna: Princess of Kyiv – Queen of France, and Lidiya Latsik for her review of Iryna Ozymok’s The City Has Me.