The publishing industry needs systematic solutions: the association has appealed to the Ministry of Culture

7 April 16:04

The Ukrainian Publishers Association has sent an official letter to Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture Tetiana Berezhnawith proposals to support the book industry.

This was announced by the association’s chairman , Artem Bidenko, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".

According to him, the publishing sector needs systemic solutions right now, despite positive signals from the government regarding the development of national cultural content.

The Publishers’ Position

In its appeal, the Ukrainian Publishers Association supported the government’s initiative to create Ukrainian national content, calling it promising for the country’s cultural development.

At the same time, industry representatives emphasize that the publishing sector already needs immediate solutions and systematic state support.

The Association also stated its readiness to participate in the development of specific support tools together with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.

What initiatives are publishers proposing?

Among the industry’s key proposals:

A law on creative industries

The Association proposes adopting a law on support for creative industries, the draft of which has already been submitted to the ministry.

According to the authors’ vision, the document should:

address systemic issues in the industry;
establish clear operating rules for the creative sectors;
stimulate the development of the cultural economy.

Reform of library regulations

Publishers propose updating the library collection management system, specifically:

removing outdated regulations;
simplify bureaucratic procedures for libraries.

Expansion of Translation Programs

A separate proposal concerns the expansion of translation programs for Ukrainian literature in order to:

increase the presence of Ukrainian books abroad;
broaden cultural dialogue;
support translations into minority languages.

Safety of Children’s Books

The Association also proposes implementing technical safety regulations for children’s printed materials.

This should ensure that children’s books meet safety standards and are part of public health policy.

Support for bookstores

Another proposal is to unblock compensation for bookstores for rent.

The industry emphasizes that this is critically important for preserving bookstores as cultural spaces and places of access to books.

Problems in the book market

The publishers’ proposals come amid a difficult situation in the industry.

According to market data, at least six bookstores in various cities across Ukraine closed in March, a development attributed to falling sales and economic difficulties.

The association emphasizes that the proposed initiatives are aimed at: