Sphere lands Hrytsak’s 'global history' of Ukraine

Sphere, an imprint of Little, Brown Book Group, has acquired The Global History of Ukraine by Yaroslav Hrytsak, translated by Dominique Hoffman.

Catherine Burke, deputy managing director of Little, Brown Book Group and executive publisher of Sphere,

acquired world rights (excluding Italy and Poland) from Olena Khirgii at Portal Books.

Originally published in Ukraine in 2020 and now updated to reflect the 2022 Russian invasion, the Ukrainian edition has, according to the publisher, become “a huge bestseller” and has been reprinted six times, with further publication also planned for Italy and Poland.

Burke said: “Yaroslav’s bestselling book is an opportunity for all to learn about Ukraine’s dramatic past and its place as a nation within the history of the world. It is incredibly important to hear this directly from Ukrainian historians and no one is better placed to share this history than Professor Hrytsak. This will be a must-read for everyone who wants to better understand what it is Ukraine is fighting for and the impact of this country on the world."

Hrytsak is a Ukrainian historian and public intellectual. Professor of the Ukrainian Catholic University and honorary professor of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Hrytsak has taught at Columbia and Harvard Universities and was a guest lecturer at the Central European University in Budapest. He is co-author of A Ukrainian Christmas with Nadiyka Gerbish (Sphere).

Hrytsak said: “Ukraine’s history and world history are closely interconnected. Among other things, this is illustrated by the current Russia-Ukraine war and it is difficult to name a country on the map that is not affected one way or another by these hostilities. The Global History of Ukraine explains the origin and timeline of this interconnectedness. A reader of this history will not only learn about Ukraine’s past but also gain a better understanding of their own past and of how the war in Ukraine affects the contours of the world to come."

Translator Hoffman commented: “In the midst of immense darkness this year, Ukraine has revealed to us its creative, freewheeling, darkly humorous and deeply resilient society. But why didn’t we know? Why were we surprised? Largely because the story we have of Ukraine is one that has been created in the Kremlin, in various incarnations of the KGB, in Russian academic circles. The story we have not yet heard is the story Ukraine tells about itself. Now we’re ready to listen and Yaroslav Hrytsak is ready to tell us.”