Elena Pshenychnaya Awarded for Her Literary Achievement

Writer Elena Pshenychnaya has been awarded the Oleksandr Honchar Prize for her novel "Where the Sun Sets".

The announcement of the winner was made by the State Agency of Ukraine for Arts and Artistic Education on April 3, the birthday of Honchar.

"Where the Sun Sets" tells the story of a nursing home. The main character, Vira, is 72 years old and finds herself there as her son is volunteering in the war. The book explores the theme of aging in Ukrainian society and the acceptance of growing old.

"Where the Sun Sets" by Elena Pshenychnaya is indeed a bold text. It is daring not just because it is one of the first Ukrainian novels predominantly featuring elderly characters, but it also raises questions that are often left unspoken", noted literary critic UP.Culture Arina Kravchenko about the novel.

Last year, "Where the Sun Sets" was recognized by the Ukrainian PEN, adding it to the list of best books of 2024. The book was published by the "Laboratory" publishing house.

This year, the winner was chosen among 36 authors. The committee members also highlighted several other works worth mentioning:

• Serhiy Bashynskyi – book "Ukrainian Church: The Forbidden History"
• Yuliana Nesterovych – novel "Tale of the Red Dragon"
• Maria Paplauskaitė – collection of stories "The Train Arrives on Schedule. Stories of People and Railways"
• Valentina Rozumenko – collection of stories "The Fierce Year of Resilience"

The Oleksandr Honchar Prize is awarded annually for the best literary works that affirm the ideals of humanism, the spiritual values of the Ukrainian people, and the ideas of Ukraine's independence.