A New Literary Challenge for Ukrainian Authors
Julia Butenko from Odesa is one of eight Ukrainian authors participating in the LITUSA Instagram contest, competing to finish a novel online within a year. The grand prize is the publication of their works.
The organizers showcase the progress of the show on a dedicated Instagram page.
This lawyer from Odesa is working on a narrative centered around family as a significant challenge. It tells the story of Astrid, who ran away from herself but returned to her hometown of Odesa.
Other contenders in the literary competition include writers Iryna Yashchuk, Myroslava Kuntner, Marina Mozhova, Maryana Ravlo, Anna Bondarenko, Kateryna Naumka, and Iryna Pakosh. They explore various genres, ranging from historical novels to detective stories and nonfiction.
The authors create their texts in real-time, participating in weekly open coworking sessions that anyone can join. Each week, the LITUSA participants report on their writing progress.
Readers become part of the game: they vote, comment, choose names for main characters, and support or critique their favorite authors.
The project's page highlights all creative stages: inspiration, procrastination, battling the inner critic, writer's block, unexpected insights at two in the morning, and simply interesting revelations, as shared by the organizers about the online reality of the contest.
