W H Allen pre-empts Katerina Gordeeva's 'unflinching' record of the war in Ukraine

W H Allen has signed Take My Grief Away: Voices from the War in Ukraine by Russian independent journalist Katerina Gordeeva, translated by Lisa C Hayden. 

Commissioning editor Suzanne Connelly pre-empted world English language rights from Natasha Banke at the Banke, Goumen & Smirnova Literary Agency. Rights have been sold in 12 languages including German, Dutch, Italian, Finnish and Estonian. W H Allen will published the "harrowing yet essential" book in June 2024. 

Take My Grief Away contains 24 "powerful" interviews with refugees and Ukrainian families who have been affected by the war. "Take My Grief Away is an unflinching record of the cost of war that centres the human voice and experience," said Connelly. "[Katerina’s] journalistic skill and ability to bring out the voice of her interviewees make for an incredibly powerful, often harrowing, read. Take My Grief Away shows what war does to us."

Gordeeva left Moscow in 2014, in protest of the invasion of Crimea, and set up a YouTube channel dedicated to reporting on Russia soon after. She is a five-time winner of the Redkollegia Award, an independent prize which recognises the work of journalists doing "ground-breaking" work despite governmental pressure.

Gordeeva commented: "While many of us view the war through a lens of terrible news, there are individuals deeply immersed in these events, representing all sides, and indeed more than two. They have lost loved ones, and they themselves have been lost to those who loved them...I see the purpose of this book as giving voice to these people; their voices must be heard. I am deeply appreciative to all those who shared their stories with me. I promised them that I would not distort their words and that I would tell the truth, and I have kept that promise.

"I extend my gratitude to my brilliant translator, Lisa Hayden, who not only made these voices accessible to English readers but also helped me to understand for myself the essence of what this book is about."