Five books on Ukrainian history and war named finalists for Peterson Literary Prize
The finalists include works on Ukrainian literature, the war with Russia, and a Stalin-era political case, with a winner to be announced in November.
TORONTO — The Peterson Literary Fund has announced five finalists for its 2026 award for nonfiction books about Ukraine, with the winner to be named at a ceremony in Toronto this November.
The shortlisted titles are Myroslav Laiuk's "Lists," published by Ukraїner; Oleksandr Mykhed and Pavlo Mykhed's "The Living: Understanding Ukrainian Literature," published by Old Lion Publishing House; Serhii Plokhy's "David and Goliath: Commentaries on the Russian-Ukrainian War," published by the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute; "Russia Against Ukraine: Russian Political Mythology and the War Against Ukrainian Identity," edited by Anton Shekhovtsov and published by Ibidem Press; and Filip Slaveski and Yuri Shapoval's "Stalin's Game of Elimination: The Incredible Case of Oleksandr Shumsky, His Survival in a Soviet Prison, and His Subsequent Mysterious Murder," also from the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute.
The prize is awarded every two years for nonfiction books in Ukrainian or English that help an international audience better understand Ukraine.
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The winner will be announced on November 22, 2026, at the fund's ceremony in Toronto, where the keynote speaker will be announced on October 1.
The main prize totals 30,000 Canadian dollars: the author of the winning book will receive 25,000, and its publisher will receive 5,000. Each finalist will also receive 5,000 Canadian dollars.
The winners were selected by a jury chaired by Lisa Shimko. The other members were Nadiia Hereliuk, John Jaworsky, Alexander Motyl, and Mark R. Stech.
Lisa Shimko linked the fund's work to the destruction of Ukraine's cultural infrastructure during the war and stressed the importance of fact-based books.
"Autocrats understand that the written word is mightier than the sword," she said. "As Putin expands his brutal war aimed at erasing Ukrainian identity, the deliberate destruction of Ukraine's cultural institutions has become an obsession of the Kremlin. Russian drone strikes on book warehouses and distribution centers in Ukraine have already destroyed more than ten million copies. That is why the mission of the Peterson Literary Fund is especially relevant now. The free world must act decisively to protect and promote fact-based books, the vital vehicles of truth and the universal aspiration for freedom."
"Lists," published in 2025, is a collection of reports and essays by Ukrainian writer and war documentarian Myroslav Laiuk. Developed over three years, the book documents what Ukrainians describe as their greatest losses during the war, addressing events like the flooding of Kherson and the attack on the Okhmatdyt children's hospital in Kyiv.
"The Living: Understanding Ukrainian Literature," published in 2024, takes readers through two centuries of Ukrainian literature, exploring the lives and works of writers including Mykola Gogol and Vasyl Stefanyk.
Serhii Plokhy's volume brings together essays and interviews written on the eve of Russia's full-scale invasion and during the first two years of the war, examining the historical background and Ukraine's resistance.
The volume edited by Anton Shekhovtsov examines the historical, political, and cultural foundations of Russia's war against Ukraine, with contributions from several scholars.
"Stalin's Liquidation Game" examines the persecution of Ukrainian Marxist revolutionary Oleksandr Shumskyi, who resisted efforts to force him to confess during Stalinist repression.
The Peterson Literary Fund was established by Canadian philanthropist Stanley Peterson and operates under the auspices of the Toronto-based BCU Foundation. The fund also provides grants for writers, translators, and publishers and presents a separate award for book translation.
In 2024, Yaroslav Trofimov won the Peterson Literary Prize for "Our Enemies Will Vanish: The Russian Invasion and Ukraine's War of Independence."
With files from Межа. Новини України. and Читомо