INDEX launches the Victoria Amelina Fellowship for writers from Ukraine and abroad in partnership with PEN Ukraine. The Fellowship will take place in Victoria Amelina’s native city of Lviv to honour her memory and carry on the ethos of her work.
Victoria Amelina was a Ukrainian writer and founder of the New York Literary Festival in the settlement of New York, eastern Ukraine. After Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Amelina retrained as a war crimes researcher and poured her energy into documenting the consequences of the Russian invasion as part of the Truth Hounds team. Amelina travelled around the world inspiring audiences from Colombia to Albania, Germany, France, Latvia, Norway, Poland, and the UK with her pursuit of justice.
Victoria Amelina’s documentation work informed not only her powerful international advocacy but also her nonfiction book Looking at Women Looking at War: War and Justice Diary (forthcoming with Macmillan and Harper Collins in February 202; the work was supported by the IWM’s Documenting Ukraine) and her collection of poetry Testimonies (Svidchennia, 2024). Both books were published posthumously.
On 27 June 2023, Victoria Amelina sustained critical injuries in a Russian missile strike on a restaurant in Kramatorsk. She died on 1 July 2023.
About the Victoria Amelina Fellowship
In 2025, INDEX will host two creative nonfiction writers in residence for three months each.
In April–June, INDEX will host a writer from Ukraine. In July–September, the programme will engage a writer from abroad. Reflecting Victoria Amelina’s international outlook, INDEX will host a joint event for the Ukrainian and international Fellows at the end of September 2025 in Lviv.
The Victoria Amelina Fellows will be offered the following opportunities:
— Accommodation in a flat in the centre of Lviv (organised in partnership with the family of Victoria Amelina)
— Office space at INDEX (Fellows’ room in the INDEX premises)
— Stipend ($1200 per month for three months)
— Covering travel inside Ukraine for outreach activities and study visits within the Fellowship programme
— Outreach events: at least two public events (readings, discussions, talks organised by INDEX with PEN Ukraine and other partner institutions)
— Media outreach (interviews and podcasts with the media partners of INDEX and PEN Ukraine)
— Participation in the rich programme of cultural and academic events in Lviv and other Ukrainian cities
— Study visits to local cultural institutions and meetings with key stakeholders
— A voluntary trip to de-occupied territories or territories close to the frontline, in partnership with PEN Ukraine
— A flagship event in Lviv at the end of September 2025 involving two Victoria Amelina Fellowship writers in residence
In light of the risks associated with Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, those international writers who choose to travel to Ukraine assume personal responsibility and are encouraged to purchase travel insurance. INDEX will not be held liable to any emergency that might occur during their stay.
Who can apply?
Writers who are interested in human rights and understanding the roots and consequences of Russia's war against Ukraine. The writers should have at least one published book by the time of application.
Selection Committee
The Selection Committee of the Victoria Amelina Fellowship consists of seven members. Four members participate in the work of both Ukrainian and International Selection Committees. Ukrainian and International Committees include three more members.
General:
— Tetyana Teren, Executive Director of PEN Ukraine
— Alex Amelin
— Sasha Dovzhyk, Programme Director of INDEX
— Yaryna Grusha, publicist, translator
Ukrainian:
— Sofia Cheliak, Programme Director of Lviv BookForum
— Oleksandra Matviichuk, Head of the Center for Civil Liberties
— Olga Rusina, writer, journalist, translator
International:
— Askold Melnyczuk, Founder of Arrowsmith Press
— Charlotte Higgins, chief culture writer for The Guardian
— Christian Rocca, Linkiesta, Editor-in-Chief
How to apply?
The candidates should submit a short CV; one-page proposal for a project they will be pursuing during their fellowship; one published piece of writing (a chapter, essay, selection of poetry). The decision will be made based on the literary merit and cross-cultural sensitivity of their work.
Application form for Ukrainian writers: https://forms.gle/sSJNbNpDBhzbfxVd9
Application form for foreign writers: https://forms.gle/A3uGuDjTGzuAWQwj9
Deadline: 1 January 2025 at 6 PM (Kyiv Time)
Announcement of the selection results: 11–13 February 2025
Should you have any additional questions, please contact us at info@index-ukraine.org.
