You Don’t Know What War Is: The Diary of a Young Girl from Ukraine by Yeva Skalietska

Yeva Skalietska, a Ukrainian teenager, was the winner of the 2023 Special Prize for Young Authors. Her diary, You Don't Know What War Is, details the earliest days of the Russian invasion of her hometown of Kharkiv through to her escape with her family to Ireland. She is interviewed by Bidisha Mamata on behalf of the Christopher G. Moore Foundation. 

Yeva’s moving diary, written daily as she lived through the first 12 days after the Russian invasion, poignantly illustrates how the war changed her young life forever.  Writing for children her own age, Yeva’s book exhibits a maturity of thought and writing ability that is far beyond her years, displaying compelling insight into what conflict is like through the eyes of a child.  It is a story the world needs to hear and is essential reading for adults and older children alike.