According to the Interfax-Ukraine Culture project, the Ukrainian book market is maintaining stable demand during the war, but publishers are facing rising production costs, logistical problems, the loss of warehouses, and changing reader preferences. This is evidenced by assessments from participants at the 14th “Book Arsenal” in Kyiv, published by the Interfax-Ukraine agency on the Interfax-Ukraine Culture project website.
The 14th “Book Arsenal” has become one of the key platforms for assessing the state of the Ukrainian publishing industry. Dozens of Ukrainian publishing houses are represented at the festival—from major players to niche projects working with military, historical, Ukrainian studies, classical, and contemporary fiction.
Market representatives note that, despite the difficult economic situation, shelling, and rising costs of paper and logistics, interest in Ukrainian books remains strong. Readers are increasingly choosing publications on history, war, culture, national identity, as well as contemporary Ukrainian fiction.
Gennadiy Korber, deputy director of the Kharkiv-based publishing house “Folio,” reported that demand for books has declined, but the market continues to function. According to him, a significant portion of the publishing house’s books is still printed in Kharkiv, despite the city’s ongoing shelling, while some orders are fulfilled in other regions of Ukraine.
Among Folio’s new releases presented at the Book Arsenal are Oleksii Bobrovnikov’s novel “Red Zone” about the war and Yurii Soroka’s book “Our Knight’s Cross.” The publishing house notes a growing interest in Ukrainian history, classics, military themes, and fantasy. According to market representatives, the youth audience actively reads fantasy, although for a number of publishers this segment was not previously a primary focus.
One of the main economic challenges for the industry remains rising production costs. Publishers attribute the increase in book prices to rising costs for paper, logistics, imported raw materials, and currency fluctuations. According to market participants’ estimates, paper prices may have risen by approximately 20–25% over the past year. Ukraine has virtually no domestic production of commercial paper for the book industry, so publishers rely on imports, particularly from Lithuania, the Czech Republic, and other countries.
Russian shelling remains an additional risk factor, leading not only to production delays but also to direct losses of print runs. Folio reported instances where books were destroyed due to strikes on factories where orders were being processed.
For the Ukrainian Priority publishing house, the strike on its infrastructure was critical.
Its director, Volodymyr Shovkoshytny, said that as a result of a Shahed drone attack on the night of June 17 last year, the publisher’s warehouse and office were destroyed. According to him, about 70,000 books and office equipment were burned, and only about 4,000–5,000 damaged copies could be salvaged from the ashes and water.
Despite the losses, the publishing house set a goal to restore its catalog by the first anniversary of the attack. Ukrainian Priority’s main focus is historical, literary, and popular science literature on Ukrainian history, spanning from the Scythian era to the modern war.
Publishers are also noting a steady interest in literature on Ukrainian studies. Publisher Oleksandr Savchuk noted that after the start of the full-scale war, Ukrainians became significantly more interested in books about their own culture, history, and identity. At the same time, he said, following a sharp rise in demand during the early years of the war, the market is now seeing a certain decline, though interest in Ukrainian topics remains long-term.
Digital services are emerging as a distinct area of development in the book market. Olga Olkhova, founder of the Litcom book app, presented an update to the service at the “Book Arsenal,” which is positioned as a book market navigator and a tool for building one’s own library. The app now allows users to add books by scanning a barcode, make written and audio notes, and track who the reader has lent the book to.
According to Olkhova, non-fiction is in high demand in Ukraine, especially short audio formats based on books. The Litcom team is also conducting research on the reading habits of Ukrainians among schoolchildren, students, active readers, and the general public. They plan to release the initial results after the conclusion of the “Book Arsenal.”
Military literature remains a notable market segment. Iryna Bilotserkivska, director of the Bilka publishing house, noted that the publishing house has been working with military literature since 2018. Among the new releases is a collection of military horror stories titled “Birds in the Dark,” written by eight military authors. According to the publisher, this is effectively a new genre emerging from the experience of war.
Market participants are also noting a shift in buyers’ expectations regarding the quality of the book as a physical product. While previously part of the audience focused primarily on price, readers now more often pay attention to printing quality, layout, illustrations, cover design, and the collectible value of the publication. The festival’s booths feature gift editions, designer series of classics, and collectible books with colored edges, embossing, and illustrations.
Svitlana Stretovych, editor-in-chief and founder of Stretovych Publishing House, presented the Ukrainian translation of Agatha Christie’s autobiography at the “Book Arsenal”—the first time it has been published in Ukrainian. According to her, the book was originally published worldwide in 1977, but Ukrainian readers had not yet had access to a translation.
Thus, the Ukrainian book market continues to operate amid war, rising costs, and infrastructure risks. Demand has become more selective, yet interest in history, war, national identity, Ukrainian literature, and high-quality publications remains strong. For publishers, “Book Arsenal” remains significant not only as a fair but also as a platform for direct contact with readers, authors, and partners.
“Book Arsenal” is an annual international festival in Kyiv that brings together publishers, authors, readers, cultural institutions, and representatives of the creative industries.
In 2026, the festival will be held for the fourteenth time and remains one of the main public platforms of the Ukrainian book market.
Source: https://interfax.com.ua/news/culture/1171986.html
