Literary Conversation on the Refugee Experience in Ennis

Join us for a meeting with Ukrainian author Hanna Horodetska and Ukrainian journalist Natalya Korniyenko. A heartfelt conversation about forced migration, homesickness, and the search for identity in a new environment will feature Ukrainian writer Hanna Horodetska and Ukrainian journalist Natalya Korniyenko. Both are refugees currently living in Ireland. They will share their personal experiences, and Hanna will also present her book, Going West («На захід від міста»), recently published in Ukraine by Old Lion Publishing (Видавництво Старого Лева). 📖 The book tells the story of Nadiya, a woman who works at a hotel on an island where an increasing number of refugees are arriving. Frightened and bewildered, they find themselves in a place where everything is new and unfamiliar. Each person carries their own story, yet they all share the hope that things will work out in this new place. But are such hopes justified? And is it easy to accept that, in a new land, you have to build your life from scratch? 📅 16 November, 3:00 pm 📍 De Valera Library, Causeway Link, Ennis, Co. Clare, V95 CTN0 🎙 The event will be conducted in both Ukrainian and English. There will also be an opportunity to purchase a copy of the book in Ukrainian and have it personally signed by the author. 🎟 Admission is free, but registration is required! 🤝 Organisers: Ukrainian Cultural Centre in Ireland, Clare Local Development Company, Pobal, and SICAP. ✍ Hanna Horodetska is a Ukrainian writer, translator, and tour guide. She is the author of four books: Inclusion, Other Maria, The Lord Doesn’t Like Vegans, and Going West. In Ukraine, Hanna worked at the National Reserve Sophia of Kyiv, where she led tours for Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Boris Johnson, Emine Erdoğan, and other prominent guests. She has been living in Ireland since 2025 and works as a social worker with Tusla. ✍ Natalya Korniyenko is a Ukrainian journalist, writer, and cultural manager. She is the author of Words and Bullets. Her essays have also appeared in Irish Pages: War in Europe and Stories from Ukraine: Believers, Fighters, Keepers. In Ukraine, she worked with Chytomo cultural media, the Book Space Festival, and the Ukrainian Book Institute. She moved to Ireland as a refugee in 2022 and co-founded the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in Ireland in 2025.