This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster — an event that displaced hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians, contaminated land across Europe and irrevocably altered global attitudes toward nuclear power.
Bringing together four authors who have engaged deeply with its human and political legacy, this event explores the complex realities faced by those affected. From research conducted in the Exclusion Zone on the cusp of Russia’s war on Ukraine, to intimate poetry born of catastrophe, memoir reflecting on life in the disaster’s aftermath, and examinations of the long-reaching psychological impact of displacement, the discussion spans genres and generations.
Philippa Holloway, Alex Lockwood, Mario Petrucci and Kateryna Keim will reflect on how they have navigated these histories — shaping narratives that centre lived experience, honour resilience, and ensure the legacy of 26 April 1986 is neither simplified nor forgotten.
Philippa Holloway is a writer and academic with a varied career history that includes being a goatherd, a medical technician at a racing circuit, and a library assistant.
Her short fiction has been published internationally, and her debut novel, The Half-life of Snails was longlisted for the RSL Ondaatje prize for ‘a distinguished work evoking the spirit of place,’ and has been featured in an international podcast, serialised in a national newspaper, and praised on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row as ‘powerful, evocative… a terrific book.’ Her second book, Untethered – a collection of short stories – was published by Parthian in 2024.
Mario Petrucci is an award-winning poet, ecologist, broadcaster and literary translator, widely recognised as a founding force and leading voice in Ecopoetry. A Cambridge physicist with a PhD from UCL, he has published numerous collections including Heavy Water: a poem for Chernobyl, which secured the Daily Telegraph/ Arvon prize. He has collaborated on major ecological films, commissioned by the Natural History Museum and shown on TV. A former Royal Literary Fund Fellow, he has fulfilled groundbreaking poetry residencies at the Imperial War Museum and BBC Radio 3, working at the intersection of science, ecology, war and public art. His archives are held by the British Library, and he is Ecopoetry Network Coordinator for the World Academy of Art and Science.
http://www.mariopetrucci.comhttps://facebook.com/writingintofreedom
Alex Lockwood is an author, activist and former academic who lives on a narrowboat, currently moored in London. His fiction and nonfiction focuses on our relationship with the environment and each other, and his debut novel, The Chernobyl Privileges is a psychological drama that explores the traumatic experience of surviving disaster, praised for its sensitive and compassionate portrayal of the legacy of the event. His most recent novel (Daddio!, 2025) is a family drama wrapped inside a climate comedy. He is the co-founder of a number of grassroots organisations involved in direct action and is editorial director for the cultural think tank Absurd Intelligence. Daddio! is available via the Hard Art collective with a foreword from Jay Griffiths and music accompaniment from Brian Eno. You can connect on LinkedIn.
Kateryna Keim has been writing since early childhood – talent from the grandfather (they say), who died age 45 in 1986, twp months after Chornobyl disaster, a pure accident (they say) – this inspired me to write a novel “Radioactive”. Me in 2026: Recently moved to Munich, living and working in Germany in IT for 10 years now. Organising Writing Salon in English for international women to promote creative writing for beginners. Working on 2 novels and collection of short stories. Taking part in various Ukrainian literature events abroad.
All profits from this event will go to the Clean Futures Fund: Providing Support For Communities Affected By Industrial Accidents – Clean Futures Fund
This event takes place online.