LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2026
A spellbinding first-hand account of art, survival and resistance in wartime Ukraine
‘The most beautifully written, moving book I can ever remember reading’ PHILIPPA PERRY
‘A book for our times’ PHILIPPE SANDS
'A brilliant and unforgettable book' EDMUND DE WAAL
Charlotte Higgins never imagined she would report on a war. But in the autumn of 2022, seven months into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she travelled there to find out how artists and writers were reflecting the devastating events in their work. The experience would change her life.
In a war fuelled by the attempted erasure of Ukrainian culture – a war that has killed countless artists and created countless more – art has become a matter of life and death. In times of war, art and literature are where difficulty and complexity survive: where the most painful, unspeakable truths can still be faced.
Drawing on two decades of cultural journalism, three years of reporting trips to Ukraine and her training as a classicist, Ukrainian Lessons explores the profound connections between war, art and life. It is a searing, urgent and unforgettable book about what artists are prepared to risk – and why culture is worth fighting for.
'An excellent book' HENRY MARSH
‘A survival manual for our blood-stricken times’ JACQUELINE ROSE
'Beautiful, erudite, heart-breaking’ LINDSEY HILSUM
Write a Review
Ukrainian Lessons 9781787335974 Hardback
-
Ukrainian Lessons
When Putin invaded Ukraine, he wanted to force Ukrainians to become Russians which meant that he had to destroy the Ukrainian language and culture. Charlotte Higgins has braved the war to bring us the experience of writers, poets and artists under fire for their art. She learnt to speak Ukrainian wh…
When Putin invaded Ukraine, he wanted to force Ukrainians to become Russians which meant that he had to destroy the Ukrainian language and culture. Charlotte Higgins has braved the war to bring us the experience of writers, poets and artists under fire for their art. She learnt to speak Ukrainian which is no mean feat, but the main Ukrainian lesson is that whatever happens in the field, your country will live on if the language and culture survive. The Ukrainians learnt this lesson over centuries of Russian oppression. This book gives an idea of what it’s like to be a war reporter in a 21st century hybrid war where the targets aren’t just military. It’s readily readable and so I only had to look up one English word in the dictionary!
-
Ukrainian art, war and language
This is so much more than a visitor's overview of art in a time of war, but rather a truly immersive experience, examining how artists are forced to react, the creativity which changes and grows, as lives, culture and the country are devastated. It also gives the best possible analysis of the d…
This is so much more than a visitor's overview of art in a time of war, but rather a truly immersive experience, examining how artists are forced to react, the creativity which changes and grows, as lives, culture and the country are devastated. It also gives the best possible analysis of the differences between Slavonic languages and others.
- Authors:
- Higgins, Charlotte
- Year Published:
- 2026
- Country of Publication:
- United Kingdom
- Format:
- Hardback
- ISBN:
- 9781787335974
- Number of Pages:
- 272
- Publication Date:
- 20/08/2026
- Publisher:
- Vintage Publishing
- Language:
- English
- Place of Publication:
- London
- SKU:
- 9781787335974