Victoria: 2468 posts

Our Ukraine fundraiser is now closed. Thought Group Chile and I are grateful for your generous contributions that allowed us to raise almost $5000. Cristián Wittig, the director of the group, will explain how these funds will be used to rebuild devastated Ukrainian cities.

“Thank you very much indeed for your generous and valuable donation and contribution to our cause. With your contribution we were able to continue developing the final part of our architectural proposals for the Memorial of the Civilian Victims of the Massacre in Irpin and Bucha, the New Public Library of Irpin, which, as you know, were awarded and selected to be built as soon as possible. Likewise, your help also allowed us to develop our proposal for the New House of Culture in Ivanivka, Chernihiv, which was officially presented to its authorities, being received with much gratitude, emotion and impression for the seriousness and quality of the proposal developed, and we obtained their approval and commitment to be built, as soon as possible, since it collects and reflects much of the essence of that local community, its requirements and desires for modernity and the future.

In parallel, as you may know, we are moving forward with the other conceptual architecture proposals commissioned by the City of Irpin (3 additional projects) and the City of Chernihiv (4 additional projects). As you can see, your contributions and those that will come in the future are absolutely essential in order to continue this extraordinary work of architecture for the reconstruction of Ukraine. We will remain in active contact to inform you of our progress.”

Now onto the winners of the contest.

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I look forward to the Passa Porta Festival that takes place in Brussels from Thursday, March 23rd to Sunday, March 26th. On Sunday, I will join the Ukrainian writer Oksana Zabuzhko for a conversation with Peter Vermeersch, writer and professor of political science. If you are in Brussels, I hope to meet you there.

SUN 26.03.2023 16:30 – 17:30 Ukraine Writes Back: Oksana Zabuzhko and Victoria Belim

For tickets and other details, please visit the Passa Porta Festival website.

For my other book news, please take a look at The Rooster House book page.

I wish you a Happy Persian New Year. May the new year bring all of us peace, joy and many good beginnings. I recently moved to a new apartment and this is the first I’m setting up my haft seen here.

Haft seen, or Nowruz sofreh, is a presentation of 7 auspicious objects that start with the Persian letter “S.” The celebration of the vernal equinox, the start of a new year, is a custom that dates back 5,000 years. Its message of hope and renewal continues to resonate. If you’re interested to learn about Nowruz, I’ve written about haft seen and its symbolism. Nowruz is celebrated in Iran as well as in countries like Afghanistan and Albania, Uzbekistan and India–and wider still.

On another bright note, the response to my Ukrainian fundraiser has been wonderful and I thank everyone who contributed, donated prizes and shared the news. The contributions will allow Thought Group Chile to provided Ukrainian cities with safe spaces and shelter. The donators will receive regular updates to know how the process of reconstruction is moving along. Today is the last day to participate in the fundraiser, so please take a look to our wonderful prizes and donate. Any amount counts.

Photography by Bois de Jasmin

I’m delighted to share that I will be participating in Hay Festival Wales 2023. The program is now live at hayfestival.org/wales.

Friday 2 June 2023, 5.30pm
Event 298 Victoria Belim and Kevin Jared Hosein in conversation with Rosie Goldsmith
I recently read Hosein’s novel Hungry Ghosts and it moved and impressed me, so I look forward to our conversation.

I will also participate in Passa Porta Festival in Brussels on March 26th, when Oksana Zabuzhko and I will meet for a conversation. If you are in Brussels, I hope to meet you there. For my other book news, please take a look at The Rooster House book page.

In other news, I made the cover of The Bookseller magazine last month. I spoke with Caroline Sanderson about The Rooster House, Ukraine and yearning for home. Our interview is included in the issue.

“A Wild Swans for Ukraine is how I’ve come to think of The Rooster House: A Ukrainian Family Memoir by Victoria Belim. An enthralling richly-layered story told across four generations, it’s a major 2023 title for Virago, was one of the most talked-about books at London Book Fair 2022 and is set to be published in 16 languages. It powerfully illuminates the context of the current conflict in Ukraine but goes beyond it too in reflecting on culture and art, geography and language and how they influence the complexities of who we are.” Victoria Belim in conversation about her memoir, a history of her family’s past and a celebration of Ukrainian identity

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Whenever I browse the list of perfume best sellers, regardless of the geographic market, I’m always struck by the enduring presence of classics. Chanel No 5 rarely gives up its position in the top five, while perfumes like Guerlain Shalimar, Clinique Aromatics Elixir, and Aramis keep their place in the top twenty. What can explain the lasting appeal of these icons, especially today when every season brings more and more new creations?

For the author of Perfume: A Century of Scents, Lizzie Ostrom, the answer lies partly in this avalanche of new launches.  “Classic scents are lodestars. When you’re feeling overwhelmed by new launches, it’s often just easier to go for the ones you recognize, like ignoring fashion fads and saving up for a Yves Saint Laurent Le Smoking instead,” she says. Perfumes like Chanel No 19 or Lancôme Magie Noire convey different moods and experiences, but they also have a reputation. (Incidentally, neither No 19 nor Magie Noire is a top seller for their brands, but their following is fiercely loyal.)

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