Greater Los Angeles, California, USA. March 11, 2023. Press Release — For Immediate Release
Book Release: Love Letters to Ukraine from Uyava by Kalpna Singh-Chitnis Releases
“Fresh on the heels of editing the wide-ranging and necessary anthology, “Sunflowers: Ukrainian Poetry on War, Resistance, Hope and Peace,” poet Kalpna Singh-Chitnis has responded with impassioned verses of empathy in “Love Letters to Ukraine from Uyava” as the war rages on in Ukraine. ~ Brian Turner
River Paw Press is pleased to announce the publication of “Love Letters to Ukraine from Uyava“ (English Edition) by Kalpna Singh-Chitnis. “Love Letters to Ukraine from Uyava” consists of sixty eight wartime poems in English written on the current Russia-Ukraine armed conflict.
The poetry collection has also been translated into the Ukrainian language titled as Любовні листи до України від Уяви by Volodymyr Tymchuk, a poet, translator, and Lieutenant Colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“Love Letters to Ukraine from Uyava“ (Любовні листи до України від Уяви) dedicated to Ukraine and its defenders, is one of the fastest books of poetry written and translated (mostly in real-time) completed only in eight weeks. The poems on the themes of war, love, and peace, written against the backdrop of the current war in Ukraine are universal and timeless in nature. They are meant to create bridges in the hearts of the readers to connect with Ukraine and allow the world to see its heart longing for love, peace, and freedom.
In praise of “Love Letters to Ukraine from Uyava,” Lyudmyla Khersonska (Людмила Херсонська), the author of “Vse svoi” and “Tyl’naia-litsevaia,” reflections on Russian aggression in Ukraine, writes – “This is a book of love, pure and overwhelming as love should be. This is a book of spirit, strong and willing, as spirit should be.”
Ihor Pavliuk, People’s Poet of Ukraine, the winner of the British PEN Prize and Swiss Literary Prize 2021, notes – “… a common spiritual child, a representative of the Indian and Ukrainian people, will bring us all closer to purification by a drop, a spark, and a metaphor…”
The book pre-launched at Soul Bone Literary Festival on February 14th 2023 was called the ‘spontaneous outpouring from the heart in support of Ukraine’s plight’ by the director of the festival, Nynke Passi. Audiences sought the poems of “Love Letters to Ukraine from Uyava” necessary and touching the very core of humanity.
“These are beautifully composed and masterfully crafted poems about life and love in the conflict of Ukraine as experienced by those enduring the war and fighting to defend their country, and about what is happening and happens in the absence of love. These poems are new and very real windows, beyond the nightly news, on the impact of this or any other war on the ordinary human condition.” Michael Whelan, a poet, military historian, and a corporal in the Irish Air Corps of Irish Defense Forces observes in his note written for the book.
“We had Auden and Sassoon, but we now have Kalpna Singh-Chitnis with a different take on war. She unequivocally reminds us that bullets and missiles don’t win wars, as they can’t win our hearts! Singh-Chitnis has created a humane world of remarkable and disturbing stillness amidst a beast’s inhumane war.” Yogesh Patel MBE, the recipient of the Freedom of the City of London states in his endorsement of the book.
Ukrainian literary critic Marianna Cheletska writes — “Kalpna Singh-Chitnis’ patriotic poems are her original interpretation of love poetry, which grows from nostalgic listening to the voices of Ukraine, attempting to go beyond the pathos and rhetorics of textbook ideas, expanding horizons with visions, overcoming fears and deep wounds with one word — LOVE.”
In her introduction to the book, Kalpna Singh-Chitnis writes —“Love Letters to Ukraine from Uyava” was planned by the universe. It was destined to be written and translated simultaneously into two languages, by two writers from two different worlds, with the same passion and love for Ukraine. In praise of the translator, she writes — “Volodymyr Tymchuk is a brilliantly sensitive, fiercely patriotic, hopelessly romantic, and deeply knowledgeable poet of Ukraine…, this discovery reassured me that no one could understand my poetry better than him, to translate them into his language.”
Speaking at the Soul Bone Literary Festival, Volodymyr Tymchuk stated — “Love Letters to Ukraine from Uyava” is among the most important books of American, Ukrainian, and Indian literary societies with a cultural mission.”
“Love Letters to Ukraine from Uyava,” has received praise from many other significant poets and writers, from Ukraine, India and USA, such as Olena O’Lear, Anatoliy Anatoliy, Sukrita Paul Kumar, Zilka Joshep, Richard Modiano, Ami Kaye, Gloria Mindock, Alicia Viguer-Espert, Norm Oppegard and others. The book published on March 11th, 2023, is ready to pre-order from River Paw Press. It opens for worldwide distribution on major online book retailers from March 29, 2023.
UKRAINIAN MEDIA COVERAGE
Love Letters to Ukraine From Uyava (Любовні листи до України від Уяви) poems in Vsesvit.
Love Letters to Ukraine From Uyava (Любовні листи до України від Уяви) in Ukrainian Literary Newspaper, Ukrayinska literaturna hazeta.
Love Letters to Ukraine from Uyava (Любовні листи до України від Уяви) in Zolota pektoral (Золота пектораль).
To obtain a copy of the book, please follow the links below. If you are interested in reviewing the book, please contact us via email.
Love Letters to Ukraine from Uyava (English Edition)
Love Letters to Ukraine from Uyava (Bilingual Edition)
Facebook – English
Facebook – Ukrainian
Instagram
Twitter
Contact: Nirvana
Email: pr.riverpawpress@gmail.com
Website: www.riverpawpress.com
Author and Translator
Kalpna Singh-Chitnis is an Indian-American poet, writer, filmmaker, and author of five poetry collections. Her works have appeared in “World Literature Today,” “Columbia Journal,” “Tupelo Quarterly,” “Cold Mountain Review,” “Indian Literature,” “Silk Routes” (IWP) at The University of Iowa, Stanford University’s “Life in Quarantine,” etc. She has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and her poems from her award-winning book “Bare Soul” and her poetry film “River of Songs” have been selected to go on the moon with NASA’s missions. A former lecturer of Political Science, she is also an Advocacy Member at the United Nations Association of the USA. Her sixth poetry collection, “Trespassing My Ancestral Lands” (2023), is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press. www.kalpnasinghchitnis.com
Volodymyr Tymchuk is a Ukrainian poet, writer, translator, and lieutenant colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. A former teacher at the Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi National Army Academy and a Technical Sciences candidate, he is the author of “To Burn and Fire, to Outlive and Overcome!” (2016), “Opus of Pace” (2018), “Azov … Crossed” (2020), “From Cossack Hetmanate’s infinity” (2021), and other books, he managed the “World Poetry Day For Ukraine” in 2022 and ‘In principio erat Verbum’ poetry of war projects. He has received the “Bohdan Khmelnytskyi Prize,” the “Markiyan Shashkevych Regional Prize,” and other literary awards. He is the translator of “Love letters to Ukraine from Uyava” (2023) by Kalpna Singh-Chitnis (River Paw Press) and working on his forthcoming poetry collection “Ukraine: The Healing Word.” Website: www.volodymyrtymchuk.wordpress.com
