A creative gathering with writer and translator Dzvinka Matiash took place in Odesa. During the event, the author presented her new poetry collection, *Berehynia and Pilot Roger*, and a revised edition of her book *The Way of St. James*.
An Intenta correspondent attended the event.
The writer spoke about her books for children and adults, her poetry and prose, her translations, as well as her works in which reality easily intersects with myth, travel, memory, and wonder.
She noted that one shouldn’t speak to children as if they were children. The language used to communicate with them should gradually become more complex so that they can learn through the process.
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The event featured a discussion of the book*The Way of St. James*—a revised edition of a book about the 900-kilometer journey along the Camino de Santiago. This work is about a journey that tests one physically and mentally, about chance encounters, people from different countries, and what happens to a person when they dare to move forward. According to the author, “The Way of St. James” was an internally transformative experience for her.
“You simply change your sense of time and space. It’s impossible to explain in words what it does to you, but almost everything changes,” she noted.
The meeting also featured a discussion of the poetry collection*Berehynia and Pilot Roger*. This book is about Berehynia, whose hands work wonders; about magical pysanka eggs that serve as talismans; and about love capable of transcending time and space. The story is rich in contemporary imagery, interwoven with folk traditions and legends.
Dzvinka (Olena) Matiash is a Ukrainian writer, translator, and winner of literary awards, including the “BBC Book of the Year.” She studied at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and is the author of popular books for children and adults (*Marta from St. Nicholas Street*, "The Way of St. James," "Requiem for November"), and is also actively translating the works of Janusz Korczak and the poetry of Jan Twardowski from Polish. In her work, she combines meditative prose and poetry with folkloric motifs, spiritual quests, and an eye for the details of everyday life.
Юлія Калабайда