Polity Press to publish first major biography of Zelensky in English

Polity Press is publishing the first major biography of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in English, written by political analyst Serhi Rudenko. 

Polity has secured world English language rights for Zelensky: A Biography from the Thomas Wiedling Literary Agency. It was originally written in Ukrainian in 2020, released by Summit Book Publishers and has been "extensively revised and updated for the English language edition" to include the impact of the Russian invasion and to explain Ukrainian domestic politics for English-language readers.

It is being translated by Michael Naydan and Alla Parminova who “are working around the clock”. according to Polity Press, to produce an English edition of the text. Despite only being put under contract in mid-April, the English edition will be published in the UK on 1st July. 

Neil de Cort, head of production, said: “As a publisher, we want to respond to the extraordinary times we’re living in, but we can only do that with really fast production turnaround. Like all publishers we’ve faced unprecedented challenges during the pandemic, but we’ve still managed to deliver books very quickly when necessary, and without compromising on quality.  

“For example, in June 2020, just a few months into the pandemic, we published Richard Horton’s book The Covid-19 Catastrophe, which we produced in three months from the date the author emailed us the manuscript to the arrival of the books in our warehouse. But we’ve never done anything as fast the new Zelensky biography. It’s only possible because we have an experienced and reliable team of translators, copy editors, proofreaders and typesetters who are rising to the challenge and prioritising work on this book. We also have good, long-term and absolutely essential relationships with UK printers, with whom we work closely and who really come through for us when we have a book like this that needs to take priority.” 

Polity Press director John Thompson added: “Polity has a long-standing commitment to the diffusion of ideas across cultures and language barriers, and this is particularly important at times like this when the world is faced with unprecedented challenges. It is a privilege and an honour to be publishing in English the first major biography of a political leader whose extraordinary courage in the face of brutal aggression has made him a figure for our time.” 

Zelensky was born to Jewish parents in central Ukraine and was a comedian. He campaigned for the presidency in the 2019 election on the promise to restore trust in politics. Just three years into his term he found himself catapulted into the role of wartime leader as Russia invaded.