Artem Chapeye

The proceeds from this event will go via Protect Ukraine towards resources to protect Ukrainian soldiers.

On 8 May, Artem Chapeye will be a guest at Crossing Border. The Ukrainian writer, journalist and activist studied philosophy at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and began his literary career with travel reportage and creative non-fiction, inspired by travels through the United States and Central America. Following the Russian invasion of 2022, he first brought his family to safety before joining the Ukrainian armed forces.

In Ordinary People Don't Carry Machine Guns he writes candidly about his experiences as a soldier: his motivations, his nightmares and his new relationship with the world. He examines his role in the defence of Ukraine and reflects on his responsibilities as a father, writer and soldier.

Many of his fellow soldiers had never considered enlisting before the war broke out; others left the country. He writes about those choices, about the large-scale decision-making that shapes individual lives and society as a whole, and about what his children are doing at home and how they feel.