Tag: Ukrainian

Winterkill in-person launch at Brantford Public Library

Thank you, Brantford Public Library for hosting Thursday evening’s launch of Winterkill, in the midst of Holodomor Memorial Week. This was the first in-person book event for me since the pandemic began and I was a little bit nervous. A small but mighty group of people came out, including students from Laurier Brantford (this pic was taken by student Ayse Aras), mothers and daughters, a friend from CFUW Brantford, friends from the Brant Historical Society, and one of my fellow kidcritters. Thank you, Zile for the intro and set-up. And thank you, everyone who came out for the great conversation.

St. Martin Ukrainian Bilingual School

It was an interesting experience, speaking with St. Martin students from Edmonton AB this afternoon. We always log in on the virtual visit fifteen minutes or so early to ensure everything is working, and it was. But Microsoft Teams gods were not with us, because once the students settled in, the screens for both classrooms went blank and no matter what Ms Pohoreski or Ms Alexandruk did, that’s how the screens remained. So I presented to two blank screens. When students asked questions, their voices were crisp and clear and their questions were well-considered. I made eye contact with the web-cam and pretended it was a student. I was grateful to get this pic to see all the lovely students I was talking to! Many thanks to HREC ED for the funding!

CUCS lecture Winterkill

It was a lively and informed discussion with a great group of students, alumni, scholars and readers, touching on the research I did in order to write this book and the reasons for including uncomfortably historically accurate Canadian characters. We also discussed the tendency in Holodomor literature to portray people as all good or all bad and why I went out of my way not to do that, and also what else I consciously avoided.

Visiting with St. Sofia students; thank you HREC ED

Visiting with St. Sofia Byzantine Catholic students feels like coming home. No I was never a student at St. Sofia, but I’ve visited so often, virtually and in person, and their students and staff are so welcoming. This year, with the heartbreaking war in Ukraine, there are many more students. And speaking about Winterkill and the Holodomor with kids who have fled war as they sit among the kind and welcoming people of St. Sofia is a poignant experience.

Here are some pics.

Hickson Central PS and Winterkill

Quoting Mrs. Van Wyk from her Instagram page: Our students had the privilege again today of meeting with the amazing Marsha Skrypuch to talk about her newest book, Winterkill. There are always so many take-aways from these meets; including perseverance, critical thinking, and the need to tell the stories of those who have been intentionally silenced. 4 million Ukrainians were forever silenced during the Holodomor. 4 million. The past informs the present. Think critically. Thank you Marsha.

Winterkill Webinar for educators

Thank you, Valentina Kuryliw and HREC ED for hosting this wonderful opportunity to discuss Winterkill with Dr. Mateusz Swietlicki, author of many academic works, including the upcoming Next-Generation Memory and Ukrainian Canadian Children’s Historical Fiction. Thank you to all who tuned in. The webinar will soon be available online as an educator resource.