What is “home” when a foreign enemy has destroyed your neighborhood, your garden, and your feeling of safety? Andrey Kurkov explores this concept and more in his satirical novel “Grey Bees”. Says Kurkov, “The concept of home for Ukrainians is very important – it’s more than a castle.” Andrey and his life is a story in an of itself – he is one of Ukraine’s most prolific and most well-regarded writers, publishing some 13 novels and 5 children’s books, and writing more than 20 scripts for feature films and documentaries. Born in Russia in 1961, but raised in Ukraine, he writes his books in the Russian language but readily and often clarifies — “I write in Russian. I am not a Russian writer. All writing in Ukraine belongs to Ukraine.” As Russian troops crossed the border this time last year, he received a warning from a friend that he, along with other Ukrainian writers and artists, was on a list of so-called “pro-Ukrainian activists” – essentially a black-list with potentially life-threatening consequences. Of course, his work is banned in Russia. Since then, he has dedicated himself to contextualizing the war for the entire world through articles, radio, lectures, television appearances, and of course, his books.

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