Winners of the BBC Book of the Year – 2025

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Every December for the past 21 years, Ukraine has celebrated the winners of the literary competition BBC Book of the Year.
One of the most prestigious literary awards is the BBC Book of the Year (https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/cwyx1jr81nlo), which for more than two decades has recognized the best Ukrainian-language publications. This award has become a mark of quality for readers and an incentive for authors to create at the highest level.
On December 11, 2025, BBC News Ukraine (the Ukrainian-language branch of the British Broadcasting Corporation) announced the winners of this year’s BBC Book of the Year 2025.
The winners were selected in several categories:
  • BBC Book of the Year – 2025 (adult fiction) – the winner is Lena Liahushonkova with the novel My Flag Was Marked by a Cat (Lviv: Urbino, 2025);
  • BBC Book of the Year – Essays 2025 – the winner is Myroslav Laiuk with the collection of reports and essays Lists (Kyiv: Ukraїner, 2025);
  • BBC Children’s Book of the Year – 2025 – the literary award goes to Kateryna Shtanko for the novel Riders of the Rain (Kyiv: A-BA-BA-HA-LA-MA-HA, 2025).
We also recommend exploring “BBC Book of the Year 2025 Shortlists: Interactive Guide” (https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/c1e3elqv380).
The BBC Book of the Year literary award is given to the best Ukrainian-language works published during the past year.
Throughout the year, longlists and then shortlists are compiled, from which winners are chosen in several categories. The jury determines the winners of the competition.
Winners in each category receive a cash prize, and subsequent editions of the winning books are marked with the BBC Book of the Year label.
In 2025, the winner of the readers’ review contest Reader of the Year – 2025 was Anastasiia Andriiv with a review of Yevheniia Kuznetsova’s book The Sheep Are Safe. Anastasiia Andriiv received a Kindle e-reader as her prize.
 
Reading is the key to understanding the world, developing critical thinking, and preserving cultural heritage. Books shape our values, broaden our horizons, and offer the chance to experience thousands of stories. That is why literary competitions play an important role in supporting high-quality Ukrainian literature and promoting the joy of reading.