‘BBC Book Of The Year’ Was Written By Family Leisure Club Author

In his native Ukraine, the writer Yurko Izdryk is regarded as the “guru of modern Ukrainian literature” – and his latest award is bound to further cement his reputation: Izdryk’s book "Take" (“Such”) has been named “Book of the Year” by the BBC’s Ukrainian broadcasting branch. The title was published by Direct Group’s Ukrainian subsidiary, the Family Leisure Club, who is no stranger to the prestigious award: last year, Lyuko Dashvar, another author signed with the Family Leisure Club, won the prize for her “Milk and Blood”.

The rules for the BBC award are roughly the same as those for what is probably the most famous literary award ever, Britain’s Booker Prize: the publishers themselves nominate as many as three of their books for the award, a jury of well-known journalists, musicians, producers and other cultural professionals then selects the winner. This year’s “BBC Book of the Year” award was presented by Lee Turner, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Ukraine.