Hugh Roberts
LightNews LightNews
banner
hughgaroberts.bsky.social
Hugh Roberts
@hughgaroberts.bsky.social
130 followers 150 following 79 posts

I'm a Professor of French at the University of Exeter, where I'm also facilitating translation of contemporary Ukrainian wartime poetry.

Otherwise, I teach and research on the crossover between philosophy and literature, from Montaigne to Simone Weil. .. more

Videos
Political science 31%
History 25%
Posts Replies Media Videos

hughgaroberts.bsky.social
Hugh Roberts @hughgaroberts.bsky.social · 4d
Poetry performance & Q&A with Yaryna Chornohuz, Thurs 13 Nov, Swedenborg Hall, London, WC1A 2TH, 7-9pm.

Sharing [dasein], trans. @aglaser.bsky.social published by @jantarbooks.bsky.social

With @ukrinstitute.bsky.social

www.tickettailor.com/events/ukrai...
Select tickets – Defending the human in war poetry – Swedenborg Society
Defending the human in war poetry – Swedenborg Society, Thu 13 Nov 2025 - What does it mean to write poetry on the front line of the bloodiest war in Europe since the Second World War? Join the Ukrain...
www.tickettailor.com

hughgaroberts.bsky.social
Hugh Roberts @hughgaroberts.bsky.social · 4d
Poetry performance & Q&A, Exeter Phoenix, Tues 11 Nov, 7.15-9.15pm, sharing [dasein: defence of presence] trans by @aglaser.bsky.social published by @jantarbooks.bsky.social

With @exetercityoflit.bsky.social

exeterphoenix.org.uk/events/defen...
Defending the Human in War Poetry - Exeter Phoenix
Join the Ukrainian servicewoman, Yaryna Chornohuz, to hear her work written under fire while saving lives as a combat medic.
exeterphoenix.org.uk

hughgaroberts.bsky.social
Hugh Roberts @hughgaroberts.bsky.social · 4d
'War poetry as existential defence', for @beinghumanfest.bsky.social, the UK's national festival of the humanities.

Join prize-winning poet and Marine, drone operator and life-saving combat medic Yaryna Chornohuz in Exeter and London, 10-13 November 2025.

www.beinghumanfestival.org/war-poetry-e...
War Poetry as Existential Defence
Led by the University of Exeter
www.beinghumanfestival.org

hughgaroberts.bsky.social
Hugh Roberts @hughgaroberts.bsky.social · 4d
"The most basic dimension of the human experience of war is love. Your first duty is to defend your loved ones. There is nothing political about it. You don’t have to think about Putin to know where your duty lies." - Artur Dron'.

kyivdesk.com/2025/11/08/t...

@jantarbooks.bsky.social
The young man at the front. A conversation with Artur Dron.
Hemingway used to say that “tomorrow’s literature will be written by young authors we know nothing about.” Not exactly. We know that Artur Dron (Артур Дронь) enlisted before reaching the legal age …
kyivdesk.com

hughgaroberts.bsky.social
Hugh Roberts @hughgaroberts.bsky.social · 20d
@yarachornohuz.bsky.social dasein: defence of presence, trans by @aglaser.bsky.social with the poet Fiona Benson and me, released in the UK today, available from @jantarbooks.bsky.social and selected bookshops!

hughgaroberts.bsky.social
Hugh Roberts @hughgaroberts.bsky.social · 29d
"Beloved poets, beloved city, I am praying for an end to Russian aggression, I am wishing you safe from harm." - Fiona Benson in 'The Guardian' on our trip to Lviv BookForum.

www.theguardian.com/books/2025/o...
‘After the reading, the poets hold each other’: what happens when Ukraine’s largest literary festival comes under Russian attack
Fiona Benson was invited to Lviv’s BookForum by Ukrainian poet-soldier Artur Dron’. She recounts falling in love with the city and its thriving literary culture, before an air raid siren sounds
www.theguardian.com

hughgaroberts.bsky.social
Hugh Roberts @hughgaroberts.bsky.social · Oct 3
Advanced copies of @yarachornohuz.bsky.social [dasein: defence of presence], translated by @aglaser.bsky.social available from @jantarbooks.bsky.social with free postage in UK.

www.jantarpublishing.com/product-page...
[dasein: defence of presence] | jantarpublishing.com
“Ms. Chornohuz’s story is emblematic of a poetry boom that has swept Ukraine during the war with Russia.” – The New York Times “One of Ukraine’s most celebrated poets.” – The Guardian Yaryna Chornohuz...
www.jantarpublishing.com

hughgaroberts.bsky.social
Hugh Roberts @hughgaroberts.bsky.social · Aug 14
Important conversation between the poets Yuliya Musakovska (Ukraine) and Quaz Roodt (South Africa).

"Literaturre can help us look into the eyes of the other and see there an image — an always new and unexpected image — of ourselves."

ukraineworld.org/en/articles/...
We are here, we will not be forgotten: South Africa and Ukraine in dialogue through literature
The dialogue between Yuliya Musakovska and Quaz Roodt.
ukraineworld.org

Reposted by Hugh Roberts

lukeharding1968.bsky.social
Luke Harding @lukeharding1968.bsky.social · Aug 14
Writers, artists and MPs have urged the Royal Ballet and Opera House to drop the Russian soprano Anna Netrebko from its new season. The singer is a “longtime symbol of cultural propaganda for a regime that Is responsible for serious war crimes” they write www.theguardian.com/music/2025/a...
Royal Ballet and Opera house urged to drop Russian soprano with Putin links
Exclusive: MPs and Ukrainian artists sign letter saying Anna Netrebko is ‘symbol of cultural propaganda for a regime responsible for war crimes’
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Hugh Roberts

euromaidanpress.bsky.social
Euromaidan Press @euromaidanpress.bsky.social · Jul 6
Meet Shraik, the wild kestrel who attacked a Russian drone mid-flight.

Wounded but alive, he was rescued by Ukrainian soldiers & underwent surgery.

Recovery will be long. His rescuers paid for everything. He is one of them now.

Now he rests. One day, he’ll fly again—over free Ukrainian skies.

Reposted by Hugh Roberts

lukeharding1968.bsky.social
Luke Harding @lukeharding1968.bsky.social · Jul 4
Here's my report from Kyiv after last night's huge Russian attack. As one Ukrainian adviser put it Putin is "publicly humiliating" Donald Trump after their phone call yesterday. The US strategy of appeasing Russia doesn't work - and civilians are paying the price www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...
Russian drone attack on Kyiv injures 14, triggers multiple fires, mayor says
Seven-hour assault prompts Ukraine to accuse Putin of humiliating Trump hours after the two men spoke by phone
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Hugh Roberts

lukeharding1968.bsky.social
Luke Harding @lukeharding1968.bsky.social · Jul 3
Massive Russian drone attack in Kyiv right now. You can hear the moped-like whine of drones flying above the centre of the city - one, two, then many more - followed by booms and machine gun fire from Ukrainian units trying to shoot them down. This is Putin’s war, of course - but also Trump’s ..

hughgaroberts.bsky.social
Hugh Roberts @hughgaroberts.bsky.social · Jun 26
@okhromeychuk.bsky.social of @ukrinstitute.bsky.social 'We Are War: On Bearing Witness and Sharing Pain', talk at the University of Exeter now available on YouTube.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ueww...
We Are War: On Bearing Witness and Sharing Pain
YouTube video by University of Exeter
www.youtube.com

hughgaroberts.bsky.social
Hugh Roberts @hughgaroberts.bsky.social · Jun 25
Nicole Yurtsaba's review of Artur Dron, 'We Were Here', trans. by Yuliya Musakovska.

'Every publication by a Ukrainian writer is a means of survival, a contribution to cultural preservation, and a stand against centuries-long Russian imperialism'

worldliteraturetoday.org/2025/july/we...
We Were Here by Artur Dron
Trans. Yuliya Musakovska. Jantar. 2024. 101 pages.
worldliteraturetoday.org

hughgaroberts.bsky.social
Hugh Roberts @hughgaroberts.bsky.social · Jun 6
Important article by my friend and colleague, the great Ukrainian poet and cultural advocate, Yuliya Musakovska.

english.mathrubhumi.com/features/spe...
A voice from Ukraine: A poet’s war against darkness
As a poet, I should believe in the power of poetry to change lives, but I’m under no illusion
english.mathrubhumi.com

hughgaroberts.bsky.social
Hugh Roberts @hughgaroberts.bsky.social · Jun 4
Today at 4pm (UK) @okhromeychuk.bsky.social

Zoom link: universityofexeter.zoom.us/j/9811766528...

hughgaroberts.bsky.social
Hugh Roberts @hughgaroberts.bsky.social · May 27
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/we-are-war...

REMINDER to book and join in-person or online next week for @okhromeychuk.bsky.social's extremely timely talk.

@uniofexeterhass.bsky.social
@uniofexeternews.bsky.social
@ukrinstitute.bsky.social
@exetercityoflit.bsky.social
We Are War: On Bearing Witness and Sharing Pain
Dr Olesya Khromeychuk delivers this talk on the ways in which war transforms language, literature, and those who bear witness.
www.eventbrite.co.uk

hughgaroberts.bsky.social
Hugh Roberts @hughgaroberts.bsky.social · May 15
Artur Dron', 'We Were Here' book launch recording.

@jantarbooks.bsky.social
@uniofexeterhass.bsky.social
@uniofexeternews.bsky.social
@exetercityoflit.bsky.social
@mcrcityoflit.bsky.social
@ukrinstitute.bsky.social

youtu.be/9LBJDQthK3c?...
Book Launch: Artur Dron', We Were Here
YouTube video by University of Exeter
youtu.be

hughgaroberts.bsky.social
Hugh Roberts @hughgaroberts.bsky.social · May 12
exeterphoenix.org.uk/events/trigg...
‘Trigger Warning’: A Workshop on Writing Pain - Exeter Phoenix
This workshop explores the power of writing about war, grief, and trauma—not only as a form of expression, but as an act of social justice.
exeterphoenix.org.uk

hughgaroberts.bsky.social
Hugh Roberts @hughgaroberts.bsky.social · May 12
www.eventbrite.com/e/we-are-war...
We Are War: On Bearing Witness and Sharing Pain
Dr Olesya Khromeychuk delivers this talk on the ways in which war transforms language, literature, and those who bear witness.
www.eventbrite.com

hughgaroberts.bsky.social
Hugh Roberts @hughgaroberts.bsky.social · May 12
@okhromeychuk.bsky.social 'We Are War: On Bearing Witness and Sharing Pain' talk @uniofexeterhass.bsky.social 4 June, 5-5pm + reception and book signing

@exetercityoflit.bsky.social
@ukrinstitute.bsky.social

hughgaroberts.bsky.social
Hugh Roberts @hughgaroberts.bsky.social · May 12
@okhromeychuk.bsky.social 'Trigger Warning: A Workshop on Writing Pain' @exeterphoenix.bsky.social 3 June 5-6.30pm

@exetercityoflit.bsky.social
@uniofexeterhass.bsky.social
@ukrinstitute.bsky.social

hughgaroberts.bsky.social
Hugh Roberts @hughgaroberts.bsky.social · May 5
Artur Dron, 'We Were Here' book launch - 5.30pm (UK time) tomorrow (6 May). Join on Zoom: universityofexeter.zoom.us/j/9133140895...

@jantarbooks.bsky.social

hughgaroberts.bsky.social
Hugh Roberts @hughgaroberts.bsky.social · Apr 23
To book: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/we-were-he...
We Were Here: Artur Dron
Celebrated Ukrainian poet and serviceman Artur Dron' concludes his tour of the launch of his poetry collection, We Were Here.
www.eventbrite.co.uk

hughgaroberts.bsky.social
Hugh Roberts @hughgaroberts.bsky.social · Apr 23
@uniofexeternews.bsky.social on Artur Dron, 'We Were Here'.

@jantarbooks.bsky.social
@exetercityoflit.bsky.social
@mcrcityoflit.bsky.social
@ukrinstitute.bsky.social
@uniofexeterhass.bsky.social

news.exeter.ac.uk/faculty-of-h...
Exeter experts support Ukrainian poet and soldier Artur Dron to share experiences of the war from the front line and beyond
Exeter experts are supporting renowned Ukrainian poet turned soldier Artur Dron to share the experiences of those fighting on Europe’s front line. Artur Dron has had to endure multiple operations and ...
news.exeter.ac.uk

Reposted by Hugh Roberts

Reposted by Hugh Roberts

richtranslator.bsky.social
Richard Coombes @richtranslator.bsky.social · Apr 20
Marina Ponomarenko is a tremendous Ukrainian poetess. Here is a poem she wrote on 24 December 2024, and my translation.
This picture is all text This picture is all text This picture is all text This picture is all text

hughgaroberts.bsky.social
Hugh Roberts @hughgaroberts.bsky.social · Apr 18
'Ukrainian wartime poetry is more than artistic expression; it is a vital medium for processing trauma, asserting identity, and bearing witness to history.' - Prof. Svitlana Arbuzova in @timeshighered.bsky.social

www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/we-m...
We must support research preserving culture, history and human dignity
Exeter’s self-funded translation of Ukrainian war poetry ensures it reaches a global audience and contributes to historical justice, says Svitlana Arbuzova
www.timeshighereducation.com

hughgaroberts.bsky.social
Hugh Roberts @hughgaroberts.bsky.social · Apr 14
Hybrid book launch for Ukrainian poet and soldier Artur Dron', 'We Were Here', trans. by Yuliya Musakovska.

Join via Zoom or live in Lviv or in Exeter, 6 May, 5.30-7pm (UK).

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/we-were-he...

@uniofexeterhass.bsky.social
@exetercityoflit.bsky.social
@jantarbooks.bsky.social

Reposted by Hugh Roberts

lukeharding1968.bsky.social
Luke Harding @lukeharding1968.bsky.social · Apr 13
My report on today's devastating Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy. At least 21 dead and 83 injured, including seven kids. Bodies on the streets, burning cars, a trolley bus destroyed, rescuers carrying survivors, a child covered in blood.. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
Russian missile strike kills at least 20 in Ukrainian city of Sumy
Volodymyr Zelenskyy says dozens killed on ‘ordinary city street’ while heading to church for Palm Sunday
www.theguardian.com