Natalia Matolinets

Natalia Matolinets
Born	(1990-12-20) 20 December 1990 (age 34) Lviv, Ukraine
Occupation	Novelist short-story writer
Nationality	Ukrainian
Alma mater	Ivan Franko National University of Lviv
Genre	Fantasy
Years active	2005–present

Natalia Matolinets (Ukrainian: Наталія Матолінець; born 20 December 1990) is a Ukrainian novelist and short stories writer. The winner of ESFS Chrysalis award (2023).

Career

Natalia Matolinets was born in Lviv, Ukraine in 1990. She attended Ivan Franko National University of Lviv to study journalism and graduated in 2013.

She is the author of several novels, including the urban fantasy trilogy Varta in the Game, inspired by various European cities. Other works include mythological fantasy Hessie, Amaterasu Academy, All My Keys and Gaia and historical Ceramic Hearts.

Among her accolades are the Eurocon 2023 Chrysalis Award from ESFS,[1] "Best Debut" and "Best Series" distinctions from BaraBooka [uk],[2] BBC Children’s Book of the Year [uk] shortlist,[3] etc.

She has served as a literary resident of Gdańsk City Culture Institute and Gdańsk City of Literature in 2022,[4] and held the same position in Prague UNESCO City of Literature in 2023.[5][6] Guest speaker of festivals and panel discussions in Poland,[7] the Czech Republic,[8] Bulgaria,[9] Sweden[10] and the United Kingdom.[11] A member of Swedish PEN since 2024.[12]

Her book Varta in the Game was published in translation by Fragment Publishing House, Czech Republic, in 2023. Her books and short stories are translated to Polish, Czech, Bulgarian and English.

Published work

Novels

• Varta in the Game (2018)
• Hessie (2018)
• Varta in the Game. The Artifact of Prague (2019)
• Amaterasu Academy (2019)
• Ceramic Hearts (2020)
• Varta in the Game. The Blood of Budapest (2021)
• All My Keys and Gaia (2022)
• All My Keys and Gaia. Northern Fire (2024)

Novellas

• The Alliance for the Rescue of Tiles and People (2023)

Short stories

• The Lady of the Starry Jars (NewMyths.Com, 2024)
• A Name Bead and a Demon (In Another Time Magazine, 2024)

Translated books

• short story Strażnik zagrożenia (Stalker Books, Poland, 2022)
• short story A Box for Buttons, Tips and Rose Petal Jam (Tales & Feathers magazine, Canada, 2023)
• novel Hra temné čarodějky – Bitva začíná (Fragment, Czech Republic, 2023)
• essays How are you? (Literaturen vestnik, Bulgaria, 2024)

References

1. "The 2023 ESFS Award Winners". ESFS. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
2. "Barabooka Top: Winners 2018". BaraBooka (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 5 November 2023.
3. "Ukrainian Literary Award -- Kniha Roku BBC. Shortlist". IU Libraries. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
4. Marta Bańka (13 June 2023). "Inspiring Gdańsk air – another year of literary residencies in Gdańsk". Gdańsk City Hall (in Polish). Retrieved 25 January 2023.
5. "Beautiful Prague times in the work of Natalija Matolinec". Prague City of Literature (in Czech). 14 September 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
6. David Vaughan (31 October 2023). "Lviv and Prague: a tale of two cities". Radio Prague. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
7. "Connecting fantasy and urban heritage". City Public Library in Gdynia. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
8. "Pražské dobrodružství Natalije Matolinec". Praha město literatury. 4 April 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
9. "SOZOPOL FICTION SEMINARS June 8-12, 2023". Elizabeth Kostova Fondation. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
10. "UkraineVision 2024. Literary Journey. Exploring Modern Ukrainian Literature". Ukraine Vision. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
11. "NEW HORIZONS: UKRAINE". Camp YA. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
12. "Writer Natalia Matolinets becomes a member of Swedish PEN". suspilne.media (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 May 2024.

External links

• SF in Ukraine: Ten Ukrainian SF/F Writers You Never Knew You Must Read, Locus Magazine
• Interview on the Radio Prague