Polish Literary Foundation heads Ukrainian children's books campaign

The Polish Literacy Foundation is spearheading a campaign to supply books to Ukrainian refugee children in Poland, as it organises a fundraiser for Ukrainian publishers. The drive comes amid a raft of initiatives from the UK trade to support people in the war-torn country.

The foundation, which is a collective of more than 20 distributors and publishers, worked to deliver picture books and colouring books to relief groups as families started to flee Ukraine during the Russian invasion. Polish printers and distributors are now printing Ukrainian books on short runs, for free, according to Publisher’s Weekly. 

The foundation aims to pay Ukrainian publishers €1 to €3 per book and continue to buy children’s books, depending on the sum raised, while all printing, distribution and co-ordination costs are being covered by Polish businesses. Children’s book are being prioritised, though all publishers are included.

Elsewhere, Nosy Crow has set up its own initiative in aid of Ukraine, and will be donating £1 from every sale of The Suitcase by Chris Naylor Ballesteros to Disasters Emergency Committee’s Ukraine Appeal. "We have already worked with the Harold Greenspoon Foundation’s PJ Library on several charitable editions of the book — US English, Arabic, Russian and German — and we are hoping to work with them on a Ukrainian edition," m.d. Kate Wilson said. 

Magazine platform Exact Editions is assembling and providing access to a digital collection of non-fiction books related to the history and culture of Ukraine, which will be available for global access through the web until 15th April. The collection currently contains 18 books from Yale University Press, Edinburgh University Press, Reaktion, Hurst, Central European University Press, Cambridge Scholars Publishing and Open Book Publishers.

Illustrators including Liz Pichon, Axel Scheffler and Dapo Adeola are supporting BrightonDrawNotWar, a fundraising prize raffle to support families and children in Ukraine. 

Originally set up by Brighton-based authors and illustrators, the project has expanded to include children’s book creators from all over the UK, including Chris Riddell, Steven Lenton, Nadia Shireen, Dame Jacqueline Wilson and Nick Sharratt, Holly Smale, David Roberts, Sharon King-Chai, Francesca Simon and Rikin Parekh. Original artwork, signed prints and books have all been donated as prizes. Tickets can be purchased in the form of a donation amount, with prices starting at £3. So far, more than £4,000 has been raised. The raffle will close on 24th March. 

Lenton, who spearheaded the project, commented: "We have such a great community of authors and illustrators in Brighton, I thought it would be good to combine our efforts and create a fundraiser, but we have so many friends and colleagues from all over the UK, the project quickly ballooned to include more than 80 of us.There has been such an overwhelming response so far and many generous donations that will go on to help families in the Ukraine who are suffering so terribly."

Meanwhile, the auction Book Aid for Ukraine, run by Madeleine Milburn agent Hayley Steed, has raised more than £29,000 in just four days. Items on offer include signed books from the likes of Dave Grohl and Joe Wicks, agent one-to-ones, hotel stays and lunches with authors.

Bidding will finish at midnight on 20^th March and all money raised will go to British Ukrainian Aid.