Ukrainian writer Anna Stadnik: I remind myself of how many Ukrainians sacrifice their lives daily, so I wipe away my tears and keep developing Ukrainian literature

Anna Stadnik is a Ukrainian writer and editor at the BookBanda publishing house, who sees her mission as contributing to the development of modern Ukrainian literature. She feels she cannot afford to do otherwise while so many people are defending Ukraine on the frontlines. This fall, Anna and writer Jan Braz presented two books – “One’s Own Stranger” and “The Penal Group” from the Lifira’s Routers cycle, united under a shared lore. “One’s Own Stranger” was authored by Anna, while “The Penal Group” was written by Jan Braz. The events in both books take place in the same universe but feature different protagonists. Anna shared her thoughts with Drive Music Media about her writing journey, which led her to an editorial position at a Ukrainian publishing house, her own book, and her future plans.

Interviewer: You recently presented your novel “One's Own Stranger”. This was your first book presentation. Could you tell us about your preparation for the book launch?

Anna: Preparation for a book presentation is always a collaboration between the author, the publisher, and the location administrators – in my case, Knyharnia “Ye” bookstore. It starts with scheduling the date and selecting a moderator. You also need to ensure that the bookstore has copies of the book available. I chose the city and venue back in July during a tour with Lesya Yatsuta and Lyuba Derkach for the presentation of their novels. Lutsk is a picturesque and atmospheric city, Knyharnia “Ye” is a beautiful and cozy venue, and Oksana Polishchuk, the store's art manager, is an excellent moderator. There was no hesitation about her candidacy because I wanted the event to be smooth and comfortable – which is exactly how it turned out.

Interviewer: Let’s go back a little. Tell us, how did you transition from being an editor at the Ukrainian publishing house “BookBanda” to standing on the other side—as an author? How did you start writing? Why did you choose this path?

Anna: This was quite the opposite for me. Back when “BookBanda” was a literary group, I submitted a short story for the fantasy collection “Chronicles of the Shards.” While working with other authors, I voluntarily proofread and edited their works. The founders of “BookBanda” noticed this, and my initiative came in handy when I was later invited to join not only as an author but also as an editor.  I started writing in 2016, which was a surprising turn for me, considering how much I hated writing essays in school. But then, ideas, characters, dialogues, and plots began forming in my mind. At some point, I decided: why not give it a try? And as you can see, I haven’t stopped since. Somewhere in my imagination, a pot of story ideas has broken, and they refuse to let me go or let me forget about them.

Interviewer: Tell us about your book “One’s Own Stranger”. Who are the protagonists, and what is the book about?

Anna: “One’s Own Stranger” is an adventurous steampunk novel about students from a combat academy and their challenging field practice. Four first-year graduates and one fifth-year student head to the country’s most remote island to investigate why monsters have been attacking the locals. Not all the islanders are friendly, and some are unwilling to help. Worse, the frightening events started after researchers from a hostile empire intervened. The interns face not only the threat of death but also find themselves in the midst of espionage intrigues. The team has only each other to rely on, and their ability to fight the monsters comes from a mutagenic drug with short-term reversible effects that unlocks superpowers.

Interviewer: What is the process of creating characters like? What is the hardest and easiest part? Why?

Anna: I’m a gardener. You know, the kind of writer who doesn’t follow a strict plan but scatters seeds and watches to see what grows. I started with a central heroine who led the story, and I didn’t pay much attention to the other four characters at first. But... they came to life. They developed traits, habits, motives, and desires. They started forming friendships, a romantic interest emerged, someone was hiding something, and one of them will surprise everyone in the end. The hardest part was keeping an eye on all of them and not letting them get too unruly. Because, honestly, they wanted to! But the easiest part was writing their dialogues. The more I got to know them, the more it felt like I was just jotting down real conversations overheard between real people.

Interviewer: In addition to being a writer, you also work as an editor at a publishing house. Can you share more about this aspect of your creative journey?

Anna: Remember how I said I didn’t enjoy writing? I wasn’t interested in learning languages either. But fate has a great sense of humor. By education, I’m a pharmacist (and yes, I didn’t like chemistry either). Over the years of working in my profession, I developed skills in organizing, systematizing, and following rules. Before joining BookBand, I had already spent several years editing articles for an online medical platform, so I had experience working with texts. The publishing house gave me the opportunity not just to dive deeper into the editing process but to truly fall in love with it. I help authors make their texts better. Help is the key word because it’s a delicate and challenging task. It’s important to enjoy the novel, to establish a connection with the writer, and to build mutual respect and trust. During the editing process, it feels like I’m peeking behind a curtain into something private and personal. There, I’m like a polite guest. I take off my shoes at the door, don’t enter closed rooms, tread lightly, and sit on the edge of a chair. And if the host offers me tea and cookies and shares something with me, it’s a wonderfully spent time. The result? We get a great novel and eagerly await the moment we can present it to readers.

Interviewer: Tell us about your participation in the "Bookland" initiative. How did you become one of its participants?

Anna: We’ve participated in the Bookland festival twice. Getting in wasn’t difficult – we filled out an application, worked out the organizational details, and received our booth. In our opinion, it’s one of the best formats because free entry means no restrictions on the number of visitors, and the large venue allows plenty of space for everyone and for hosting literary events.

For us, it’s always a whirlwind of interactions with customers, authors, and representatives from bookstores and publishing houses. Emotionally intense yet incredibly rewarding days.

Interviewer: Why were your book and Yan Braz’s book published under the same cover? How are these books connected?

Anna: “One’s Own Stranger” is one of four novels in the Ruthers of Lifira series. The idea was actually proposed by Yan Braz: to write an adventurous steampunk story set in a shared universe. The events take place in the same world but feature different characters in various locations (there were plenty of students in the Academy for everyone!). Initially, the plan was to create a collection of four short stories, but our imagination quickly outgrew the 40,000-character limit. When we realized we were ending up with four full-length novels, we decided not to spread out their publication dates. The idea of a flip-book emerged almost immediately – it felt perfectly in the spirit of adventure! We could release two stories about interns and design them in a fun and visually appealing way.

Interviewer: How challenging is it to continue your career amidst constant russian bombings in Ukraine? Where do you find strength?

Anna: I live in Bucha. It’s far enough from the frontlines to feel relatively safe – of course, that’s if you don’t count missile strikes and drone attacks. Power outages, often caused by these strikes, are another challenge. These disruptions are impossible to predict, making it hard to plan work. Humans are highly adaptable creatures. As terrible as it sounds, I’ve gotten used to it. Sometimes, it’s incredibly difficult – the uncertainty, rage, helplessness, and fear for loved ones and friends who live in dangerous areas or are currently serving in the Armed Forces can completely knock the ground out from under me. It drives me into apathy. But then I remind myself of how many Ukrainians sacrifice their lives daily, how much effort and time they devote to defending our country, and how many have already fallen. And I realize – I have no right to give up. Thanks to them, I can live freely in my home, write in my native language, and create books. As long as a free Ukraine exists, I can contribute to the development of modern Ukrainian literature. So I wipe away my tears and keep working.

Interviewer: What projects are you working on right now?

Anna: Right now, I’m working on a mystical thriller set in Kyiv during 2017-2018. The story follows three characters: a young woman who dies and resurrects every month, losing more of her memory each time; a detective determined to uncover the cause of these strange deaths and find the culprit; and the owner of a book stall at a market, who has become possessed by a malevolent entity and is forced to commit ritual murders to get what he desires. Their lives intertwine in complex ways, leaving you uncertain until the very end about who is the victim, who is the hunter, and who is the savior.

Interviewer: As an author, what role do you want to play in contemporary Ukrainian literature?

Anna: To begin with, I want to establish myself as an author – that’s already quite a challenge. After that, I aspire to become a storyteller of strange and mystical tales that captivate readers, draw them away from everyday life and routine, make them experience something new, and perhaps even help them cope with their own struggles.

Pictures were taken by Mariia Lazorenko