Call for Submissions: Translating Ukraine’s 1920s

We are delighted to announce a new small magazine project devoted to Ukrainian literature and culture in the 1920s—a decade of aesthetic experiment, political upheaval, and astonishing creative energy. Our first issue will gather new translations, short essays, and archival discoveries that bring this period into sharper focus for readers today.

The zine will feature a new English translation of work by Geo Shkoopopij, alongside other writers, artists, and critics who helped shape the cultural life of Ukraine in the early Soviet era. Our aim is to make this material accessible to non-specialists while still providing enough depth, context, and bibliographic detail to be useful for scholars and students.

What We Are Looking For

We invite scholars, translators, and enthusiasts to contribute short pieces that illuminate any facet of Ukrainian cultural life in the 1920s. We are especially interested in materials that bridge archival discovery and contemporary reading.

• Brief essays or notes on specific authors, journals, or artistic circles active in the 1920s
• Translation excerpts (poetry or prose), especially works that have not previously appeared in English
• Short reflections on working with archives, rare editions, or manuscripts related to this period
• Contextual pieces that help situate 1920s Ukrainian culture within broader regional or global debates

Pieces can be exploratory, provisional, or fragmentary. We welcome careful notes, marginalia-like observations, and works-in-progress, as long as they are clearly written and provide enough context for readers who may not have a background in Ukrainian studies.

How to Get Involved

To stay informed about the project, including guidelines, deadlines, and a preview of the new Geo Shkoopopij translation, please subscribe via the site's Subscribe page. Subscribers will receive occasional updates about the zine's progress, calls for specific kinds of material, and notes from the editors' own archival work.

When the first issue of the zine is ready, all subscribers will receive a free PDF copy. If you would like to be considered for inclusion in this inaugural issue, please subscribe first and then send us your proposal or draft via the contact details provided there.

We are excited to build a small, rigorous, and welcoming space for thinking together about Ukraine in the 1920s—across languages, disciplines, and levels of expertise. Whether you come to this period as a researcher, a translator, or a curious reader, we hope you'll join us.