The International Renaissance Foundation has announced the continuation of the war literature contest “4.5.0.” for service members and veterans in 2025. The initiative aims to give participants of the war an opportunity to document their experiences, share personal stories, and preserve their voices in the literary space.
Submissions are open until September 15, 2025, with winners to be announced by the end of the year. Participants may submit short stories, essays, diary entries, or poetry. The contest is open to all service members and veterans of the Russo-Ukrainian war, without restrictions on age or service status.
Authors whose works make the final shortlist will be published in a dedicated anthology, while winners will receive cash awards of 45,000 UAH. The jury will evaluate submissions anonymously, focusing solely on the content and literary quality of the texts.
The panel of judges includes writers, service members, paramedics, and literary scholars, among them Yevhen Lir, Olena Herasymiuk, Pavlo Vyshebaba, Alina Sarnatska, Volodymyr Yermolenko, and Rostyslav Semkiv.
The first “4.5.0.” contest was held in 2024 in partnership with the Old Lion Publishing House. That year’s winners included Alina Sarnatska, Pavlo Vyshebaba, Anton Drobovych, and Artem Popyk in various categories.
Details on participation rules and restrictions are available on the foundation’s official website.
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