We are used to talking about literature as an area that is constantly narrowing, tending to be marginalized, and losing its adepts. Mankind reads books less and less, books occur in narrower circles of people, and literature itself appears more conditionally in our lives. The future of writing increases skepticism, especially of those who are used to perceiving skepticism as a norm.

Instead, we are convinced that literature is far too early to be buried and that poetry and prose continue to be in demand and influence our perceptions of the world. Moreover, they are the ones that keep shaping these ideas. In particular, our optimism is based on the ability of literature to adapt to new realities, to adapt to changes in the cultural and information fields, to mimic together with mankind that is stubbornly moving forward in search of happiness. The literary glass remains half-full, quenching thirst and offering solace. One only needs to be able to hear these new, unusual voices that speak about what literature has been talking about for so many years: our dependence on each other and our inability to get along with each other.

In the curatorial program Out Loud. About Yourself, we are going to show how literature tries to find itself in today’s dispersed air: through music, performance, and provocation. The way in which the ghosts of literature appear where they are not expected, the way in which poetry and prose function in adjacent territories, and in which literary voices are outlined through music or theater. The way in which different genres coexist, balancing between what is written about yourself and what is said out loud.

During the four days of this year’s Book Arsenal, we are going to offer readers (that is, listeners) open conversations with people who can mix and match. The audience will have the opportunity to see (that is, hear) writers and musicians who have found for themselves this cozy gray inter-genre zone, being there in a state of constant transit. We will offer our audience public interviews with concert performance elements, where guests will be unexpected, yet desirable.

Let’s take the band Hammerman Destroys Viruses, which is the virus itself, spreading provocative narratives and causing a possibly inappropriate response. Or the Belarusian rock star Lyavon Volsky, who takes poetry into a broader context, making his own texts and the texts of the classic authors of the Belarusian literature a part of the public sounds/voices and reflections. Or the shocking duo from Berlin — writer Volodymyr/Wladimir Kaminer and musician Yuriy Gurzhy — who, while remaining masters in their respective fields, are constantly trying to introduce themselves to new audiences by synthesizing genres and breaking patterns. Our program will end with a concert by the Kharkiv punk project Zhadan I Sobaky, with the participation of all invited participants

We are all between our skepticism and optimism. We dance on the line, between despair and confidence. We are thrown from despair to euphoria. The main thing seems to remain sincere and frank. That is, to be able to listen to others and talk about yourself. Preferably out loud.

“And in the great new family, The family of the free…”

Family is a space of trust, a circle of unconditional support, growth and coming of age. It is in the family that we all gain our first experience of thinking and talking about life and death, justice and injustice. Whatever the family, we all learn about the world through it. The family circle helps to enter the outside world for the first time, to get to know it, and to cope with new acquired experiences.

Just like the entire history of Ukraine, the Ukrainian literature has powerful family stories and traditions. In particular, during 2021, the focus is on Lesya Ukrainka and her wide family circle that includes names of no less important Ukrainian classic authors, such as Olena Pchilka and Mykhailo Drahomanov. It’s equally important here to mention the Stara Hromada, or the circle of Ivan Franko and Panteleimon Kulish… And it’s no less important to list the primary names and families of the 20th century: we wish we would not miss anyone. That is why the conversation about significant literary families is the cornerstone of the special program Family Values.

The issue of human rights protection cannot be overlooked while talking about the family of modern Ukraine. Unfortunately, the issue of family values ​​is now often pushed by those movements that, using the slogan of ‘traditional values’ as cover, allow themselves violence, such as attacks on peaceful assemblies of citizens. But the family and its protection cannot be a space of violence and hatred. That is why the program Family Values will give us an opportunity to talk about our Ukrainian traditional values: the justice and equality of citizens who, being in the great new family, the family of the free, can create a society with comfortable and safe living standards.

As a project of one of the most powerful Ukrainian art institutions, Book Arsenal has always paid special attention to the interaction of literature and art. Over the past 10 years, it has held many international exhibitions and events related to illustration, font design, art books and photo zines, and experimental printing. Along with that, for the first time this year, we have prepared a separate Book Design Program in order to create a context for the national competition and a friendly environment for professional communication.

We will try to look at the book design both as an illustrative function and, more broadly, as a complex and meaningful area of interaction between the textual and the visual, and both as the graphic design and as the object one working with forms and materials.

For five days, we will hold two international workshops, focusing on the research phase in book design and its importance in finding visual and material solutions, as well as rethinking approaches to book cover design. In addition, we will organize open design consultations for publishers and authors, and hold a series of presentations of publishing novelties related to book design, visual books, and art books.

In addition, specifically within Book Arsenal’s focus theme Optimists Skeptics, we will discuss, on the one hand, whether the design should be ‘optimistic’, what the ‘optimistic design’ as itself is, and how designers get readers to fall in love with books and construct their ‘positive’ experience, as well as will consider the necessary degree of skepticism. On the other hand, we will discuss how designers can keep the remnants of their optimism in the working process, and talk about precariousness, authorship in book design, the ethics of the relationship between the publisher and the designer, and the international professional standards in this area. In particular, Jonas Voegeli (Switzerland) – special guest of the program and the chairman of the jury of this year’s Best Book Design Competition organized by Book Arsenal and Goethe-Institut in Ukraine, as well as the head of Hubertus Design, one of the most famous European studios working in the field of cultural projects and book publishing, which was repeatedly awarded for achievements in design – will share his reflections on the topic in his introductory lecture.