The Ukrainian Cultural Festival and The Center for Fiction Present Oksana Lutsyshyna and Sam Wachman

What happens when writers look across borders—not just national, but linguistic, generational, and personal—to tell stories that challenge dominant narratives? In this special event, Ukrainian novelist and poet Oksana Lutsyshyna joins American debut author Sam Wachman to explore the complexities of migration, queerness, and identity through fiction. Johannes Lichtman, author of Such Good Work and Calling Ukraine, will join as the evening’s moderator.

Lutsyshyna’s Love Life follows a Ukrainian immigrant seeking belonging and meaning in the United States, while Wachman’s novel, The Sunflower Boys, centers on a queer Ukrainian teenager navigating the psychological aftermath of war. Writing from opposite sides of the Atlantic about overlapping worlds, both authors probe what is lost and what can be found in translation, both literal and emotional.

This event is part of this year’s Ukrainian Cultural Festival, which takes place under the theme Against the Grain as a celebration of artists who defy convention, challenge inherited narratives, and redefine what it means to forge bold new cultural paths.

Following the event, attendees are invited to a reception featuring complimentary drinks and Ukrainian cuisine provided by Veselka.