Shirley Hughes’ literary heritage was decided by her family to be presented to Ukrainians.
In the capital, a unique collection of 555 books by the famous British children’s writer and illustrator Shirley Hughes was transferred to the funds of the National Library of Ukraine for children. This was reported by the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy.
On February 24, 2022, the children of 94-year-old Shirley Hughes informed their mother about the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine. Mystkina was upset, because she was a great admirer of Ukraine. In response to the news, the woman said: “I believe that the Ukrainians will win!”.
The next day, Shirley Hughes was gone. Her children decided to transfer the unique book collection to Ukraine. The eldest son, Ed, is a well-known journalist for one of the best newspapers in Great Britain, The Guardian. He loves Ukraine and learns the Ukrainian language, stays in Ukraine for a long time, visits de-occupied and front-line cities, covers events in Ukraine.
Shirley Hughes illustrated more than 200 children’s books and wrote 50 herself. Her books sold more than 11 million copies worldwide. Shirley was repeatedly awarded the most prestigious literary awards and honors for her literary activity and illustrating books. Her works are very popular among children and adults in the UK and around the world. Throughout her life, the brilliant writer fought for the preservation of libraries, supported European book collections.
From the collection that arrived in the capital, 51 books will be transferred to the Kherson Regional Children’s Library, 51 to the Mykolaiv Regional Library, and 30 to the Donetsk Regional Children’s Library. Other regional libraries will also receive books by Shirley Hughes for their collections. Part of the copies will be available in Kyiv, at the National Library of Ukraine for Children (60 Yanush Korchak Street).
Maria Kataeva
