No One Talks About the War
by Nina Kossman
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Description
Awards & Endorsements
Author(s)
Nina Kossman
Related Titles
| Publisher | Open Ends Press |
| Publication | Nov 17, 2026 |
| Format | Hardback |
| ISBN | 979-8994032640 |
| Pages | 236 |
| Dimensions | 5.5 x 8.5 x 0.69 in |
| Age | Adult 18+ |
| Price | $21.00 |
No One Talks About the War
For readers of Anna Reid's "Borderland" or Ryszard Kapuscinski's "The Shadow of the Sun," a powerful, offbeat narrative of encounters with ordinary Ukrainians living through war.
"No One Talks About the War" is built on everyday conversations, mainly between the author and people she meets. It is written from an extraordinary place at a crucial inflection point: Ukraine in the midst of a protracted fight for its very existence. These conversations are woven together as a journey across Ukraine, from the western regions, where relative peace hangs in the air, to the front lines, where life is measured in days and hours, exploring themes of language, history, and the steadfast commitment of a people facing an uncertain future.
Reviews, Awards & Endorsements
"Nina Kossman's fascinating travelogue is a choir of voices: kind, angry, contradictory, accusatory, or caring--voices of humanity that cannot be silenced even by death and destruction unleashed by Russia on Ukraine."
Elena Gorokhova, author of ”A Train to Moscow
"In No One Talks About the War, Nina Kossman travels across Ukraine, from border towns in the West to the front lines in the East, talking to locals, both civilians and soldiers. The author’s voice, fearless and genuine, elicits illuminating views from the Ukrainians she meets, who attempt to confront thorny questions of how to shape their future, how to survive the present, and what they owe to the past. No One Talks about the War presents readers with portraits of ordinary people trying to live normal lives under the extraordinary circumstances of a brutal war. Unique and riveting."
"Kossman’s intriguing book manages to get people to open up about what’s going on in their country. It’s something to remember when you watch the news today and see the effects of the latest rocket or drone attacks. There are real people there, all of them just wanting to go about their lives. In truth, not talking about the war is a luxury few in Ukraine can really afford…"
Alexander Veytsman, writer, poet, critic
"Vladimir Sorokin once said that the best literature about wars is written long after wars are over, citing "War and Peace" and "Life and Fate" as examples. Nina Kossman's "No One Talks About the War" may just defy that characterization. She takes the reader inside the mindset of ordinary individuals, ordinary situations, and ordinary dialogues in Ukraine. The result is not so much the horror of war itself, but the expectation of horror, as if the train has just arrived at Auschwitz, but no one truly knows what to expect a few hours later."
Grants, awards, and fellowships.
Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing
Finalist for the Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing (2021).
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
Received an NEA fellowship (1999).
UNESCO/PEN Short Story Award
Received a (now-discontinued) UNESCO/PEN Short Story Award for non-native writers of English (London, 1995).
Foundation for Hellenic Culture
Received a grant for a book from the Foundation for Hellenic Culture (2000).
Onassis Foundation
Received a grant for a book from the Onassis Foundation.
Nina Kossman talks about her new and forthcoming books. Interviewed by David Serero.
Author