Ukrainian publishers signed more than 160 licensing agreements in the first half of 2025, setting records. The surge in rights sales has been sparked, in part, by the expansion of translation grant programs of Translate Ukraine, House of Europe, and Tales of Ukraine, which have helped publishers with no prior international sales experience enter the global market. The growth also coincides with the recent debut of Chapter Ukraine, an interactive platform that provides comprehensive information about Ukrainian books already available in English translation.
Two publishers dominated the licensing landscape in early 2025. Lviv-based The Old Lion Publishing House finalized 124 licensing agreements, while Ranok, based in the besieged city of Kharkiv, secured 61 contracts for 75 books, according to figures from Chytomo, the news service of the Ukrainian publishing industry. Some 40 additional agreements were signed by smaller publishers.
The licensing boom reflects both structural support and shifting market dynamics. Picture books and illustrated popular science publications for children remain the dominant segment, though adult fiction is gaining ground. The Old Lion Publishing House reports translations of adult fiction have grown from 10% to nearly 30% of its portfolio over the last five years, while Ranok has noted increasing demand for literature aimed at parents.
"Sales of rights to children's books are also growing in terms of quantity, but selling licenses for the translation of children's books is becoming significantly difficult against the backdrop of a substantial increase in the price of materials and book production," said Ivan Fedechko, head of the copyright department at the Old Lion Publishing House.
"In just the first half of this year, more books have appeared in translation than in the entire 'breakthrough' year of 2023," said Iryna Baturevych, Chapter Ukraine's co-curator and Chytomo's development director. According to the Ukrainian Book Institute, all Ukrainian publishers combined secured more than 130 licensing agreements in 2023. "But these books still need support to be noticed—so we're looking for ambassadors of Ukrainian literature to support their favorite books abroad. And there's plenty to choose from."
Among the titles now featured on Chapter Ukraine are Ivan and Phoebe by Oksana Lutsyshyna (Deep Vellum), which chronicles the lives of young people involved in the 1990s Ukrainian student protests known as the Revolution on Granite; pray to the empty wells by Iryna Shuvalova (Lost Horse Press), a bilingual poetry collection rooted in Ukraine's folk culture; The City by Valerian Pidmohylny (Harvard University Press), a landmark 1928 urban novel newly available in English translation by Maxim Tarnawsky; and In Isolation by Stanislav Aseyev, which features dispatches from occupied Donbas documenting life under Russian occupation.
Chapter Ukraine allows users to filter a catalog of translated Ukrainian titles by genre, theme, or historical period, create curated lists, and share them directly with libraries and bookstores. The platform launched initially for English-speaking audiences, particularly in the U.S., and is now expanding to Spanish and German.
"Our goal was to create an accessible, practical tool to enable international libraries, bookstores, and cultural institutions to discover Ukrainian literature in translation," said Kateryna Kazimirova, Chapter Ukraine's creator and head of Craft, an NGO that developed the platform with Chytomo. "The next stage of the platform will include integrations with library and distribution services, showing where titles are already available for purchase or reading and making the process even easier for everyone involved."
The growth trajectory began with the Ukrainian Book Institute's Translate Ukraine program, launched in 2020, and has been reinforced by rising interest from European publishers seeking Creative Europe funding. Ironically, as funding for translations across Europe has grown stronger, the Trump administration cancelled nearly $200,000 in funding for the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute, which has been a significant publisher of translated Ukrainian literature in the U.S.
Chapter Ukraine was developed by Craft and Chytomo in partnership with Snig.digital (web design and identity) and Kavi.Agency (web development and integrations). Institutional partners include the Ukrainian Book Institute, PEN Ukraine, UNWLA, and Razom for Ukraine.
The project team continues updating the database with new titles and welcomes collaborations. Inquiries can be sent to chapterukraine3@gmail.com.
