How Fire Descends: New and Selected Poems

Serhiy Zhadan's poetry is a powerful testament to the power of poetry to define and defy injustice. Since the Russian invasion of Crimea in 2014, he has brought international attention to his country's struggle through his unflinching poetry of witness. This selection of his poetry, forged entirely in wartime, is an homage to the Ukrainian people, a forceful reckoning with the violence of the past and present, and an act of artistic imagination that breaks with trauma and charts a new future for Ukraine.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 136 pages
Publication date: 09 January 2024
Publisher: Yale University Press

A searing testament to the power of poetry to define and defy injustice, from iconic writer-activist Serhiy Zhadan, emerges as a poignant and powerful exploration of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Zhadan, among Ukraine's most distinguished writers, has borne witness to Russia's fire-blasted impingement on his country since the 2014 invasion of Crimea. His poetry, a testament to the resilience and determination of the Ukrainian people, has brought international attention to their struggle.

In this searing testament, Zhadan honors the memory of the lost and addresses the living, inviting us to consider what language can offer to a country threatened with extinction. Young lovers, marginalized outsiders, and ordinary citizens pulse with life in a composite portrait of a people newly unified by extremity. Even in the midst of enemy fire, Zhadan's lyrical monuments beat with a subterranean thrum of hope.

With a foreword by the poet Ilya Kaminsky, this selection of Zhadan's poetry, forged entirely in wartime, is an homage to the Ukrainian people, a forceful reckoning with the violence of the past and present, and an act of artistic imagination that breaks with trauma and charts a new future for Ukraine.

Through his words, Zhadan reminds us of the importance of poetry as a means of resistance and healing, offering a glimpse of hope and possibility in the face of adversity. His poetry serves as a testament to the enduring spirit of the Ukrainian people and their determination to rebuild and thrive in the face of unimaginable challenges.

Weight: 194g
Dimension: 153 x 197 x 12 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780300272468