Kobzar’s Children Book Launch

By John Pidkowich

On February 21, the Ukrainian Canadian Professional and Business Association of Toronto hosted a book launch of Kobzar’s Children: A Century of Untold Stories by Ukrainians, an anthology of 12 short stories by several authors selected and edited by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch. She is author of two of the stories, one of which is about the great 1932-33 Famine in Ukraine. The collection spans a “century of stories” from 1900 to 2004, from the Ukrainian Canadian experience as pioneers and internment, through relatives in Displaced Persons Camps after of WWII (“chocolate story”) and, up to  the Orange Revolution in Ukraine.

Marsha Skrypuch is a writer and author of books, including the children’s book Silver Threads, Enough, Hope’s War and a new book in fall 2007 depicting a young girl’s diary about life in a WWI internment camp for Ukrainian Canadians and other “enemy aliens”. In the past, she has given back to the community from which she originates. For example, some book royalties have gone to the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association to help erect plaques marking internment camp locations. Through an internet “online critique group”, Skrypuch looks out for new stories told by individuals whom she mentors to become writers, such Linda Mykolaienko.

Skrypuch introduced her own mentor for becoming a writer, Sonja (Syrotiuk) Dunn. As a contributor to the anthology, Dunn read her story entitled Changing Graves that recalls her encounter with “DP” relatives as a 12 year-old girl growing up in Toronto, when the “old-world” meets the new and odd requests that stem from Ukraine seem to be out-of-place here in Canada.

In collecting stories for the next anthology of “untold Ukrainian stories”, Skrypuch continues to give back to the Ukrainian community that has been a source for her work. She is actively mentoring new writers whose stories are not published and believes that there is demand for “Ukrainian” in the Canadian marketplace.  Admittedly, not only from a business point of view, there is the need to educate the Canadian public about what is “Ukrainian”, people in general who have some connection with Ukrainians whom they wish to understand and appreciate better as their neighbour, daughter-in-law, friend etc.

The book launch talk and reading concluded with a reception and authors’ book signing in the warm ambience of the UNF Trident Hall Lobby, conducive for booklovers and contributors alike to celebrate and discuss their reading of told and untold stories by Ukrainians.