Ukrainian Poet Iya Kiva Wins Prestigious Polish Translators’ Award
Ukrainian poet, journalist, and translator Iya Kiva has made history by becoming the first recipient of the Ferdinand Ossendowski Award, a prestigious Polish prize recognizing outstanding achievements in translation.
She shared this significant milestone on her Facebook page.
The award was granted for her translations of Polish poetry into Ukrainian, notably works by Eva Lipska and Kristina Milobendzka.
The ceremony took place on October 29 during the “Endemics” literary festival in Poznań, an event that, despite the rain and bad weather, turned into a heartfelt celebration of human warmth and support.
Kiva admitted that since the onset of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, her translation work slowed considerably due to emotional exhaustion and difficulties in promoting her projects.
Nevertheless, receiving this award served as a motivation to return to her passion—poetry translation—because, as she states, “translating poetry is about love and freedom.” Experts see this recognition as a vital contribution to cultural diplomacy and intercultural dialogue.
The Ferdinand Ossendowski Award was established in 2025 by David Jung, editor-in-chief of the journal Zeszyty Poetyckie, known for promoting Polish literature internationally.
The award’s name honors the Polish writer and journalist Ferdinand Ossendowski, whose works have been translated into dozens of languages.
The founders believe his legacy embodies the dialogue between cultures and underscores the importance of literary exchange, especially relevant in today’s interconnected world.
Iya Kiva is the author of several poetry collections, including “Further from Paradise,” “Laughter of the Extinguished Flame,” “First Page of Winter,” and “We Will Wake Up Different,” which have received numerous awards and recognition from Ukrainian PEN.
In 2024, she was shortlisted for the Women in Arts Award in the literary category, and her poem “Is There Hot War in the Tap” (translated by Catherine E.
Young) was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2022.
Recently, her Ukrainian documentary film “Cuba & Alaska” won the “Best Documentary” award at the Rome International Film Festival—marking a historic achievement as the first film in the newly created category for documentary feature films, introduced for the first time in over two decades.