About the Programme

Victoria Amelina was a Ukrainian writer and founder of the New York Literary Festival in the settlement of New York, eastern Ukraine. After Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Amelina retrained as a war crimes researcher and started documenting the consequences of the Russian invasion as part of the Truth Hounds team. Amelina travelled around the world inspiring audiences from Colombia to Albania, Germany, France, Latvia, Norway, Poland, and the UK with her pursuit of justice.

Victoria Amelina's documentation work informed not only her international advocacy but also her nonfiction book Looking at Women Looking at War: A War & Justice Diary (published in 2025 and awarded the George Orwell prize for Political Writing) and her collection of poetry Testimonies (Svidchennia, 2024). Both books were published posthumously. On 27 June 2023, Victoria Amelina sustained critical injuries in a Russian missile strike on a restaurant in Kramatorsk. She died on 1 July 2023.

To continue the labour of witnessing and the fight for justice that drove Victoria Amelina, the Fellowship named after her will also advance the internationalist aspect of her work by engaging nonfiction writers from Ukraine and abroad.

As part of the programme, we invite two Fellows — one from Ukraine and one international — to Lviv for a three-month residency. During this time, the Fellows receive organisational, intellectual and financial support from INDEX and our wider community, including networking, peer-review sessions, events and visits, field trips and much more. Our aim is to provide a space where participants can focus on their projects that document the reality of Russia’s war against Ukraine or its consequences — here, on the ground, and in the very spirit that inspired Victoria Amelina’s own work.

Who Can Apply? (2026 Open call)

Writers who are interested in human rights and documentation of wartime experiences. The writers should have at least one published book by the time of application.

In 2025, the programme’s Fellows were Kateryna Iakovlenko and Eva Peek — find out more about them via the link.

In 2026, the programme’s Fellows are Anna Gruver and Lucy Fulford. More information is available here.

What is included in the Fellowship:

• Accommodation in a flat in the centre of Lviv, office space at INDEX (Fellows’ room in the INDEX premises);

• Stipend ($1200 per month for three months for 2026 open call);

• Research seminars, peer review sessions, and workshops;

• Participation in the rich programme of cultural and academic events in Lviv and other Ukrainian cities, organised by INDEX and institutional partners, study visits to local cultural institutions;

• Voluntary documentary trip to de-occupied territories or territories close to the frontline in partnership with PEN Ukraine;

• Participation in the Victoria Day 2026, a flagship event in Lviv featuring two Victoria Amelina Fellows.

Public event format: INDEX manages the logistics of public discussions, interviews, presentations, readings, or other event formats suitable for the Fellow's project. Leveraging our extensive cultural and academic network, we can also provide conceptual support for the event: identifying and inviting speakers or a moderator, helping to define the target audience, and assisting in shaping the focus of the discussion.

Internal seminar: This session takes the form of an internal peer-review roundtable, modelled on an academic seminar. During the seminar, the Fellow has the opportunity to present their findings, receive feedback from colleagues, or seek advice on the future direction of their project. In internal seminars, we discuss both work in its final stages of proofing or approval and initial materials requiring substantial development. To ensure the feedback is as useful as possible, we invite specialists from relevant fields— recognised local academics, researchers, or artists — to act as discussants, providing detailed feedback and leading a Q&A session.

Note regarding safety: In light of the risks associated with Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, those international participants who choose to travel to Ukraine assume personal responsibility and are encouraged to purchase travel insurance. INDEX will not be held liable for any emergency that might occur during their stay.

Expected outcomes:

• New documentary work created by each Fellow (a completed book manuscript, libretto, poetry collection, screenplay, etc.)

• One essay or column for Narysy reflecting on their experiences during the programme.

Selection Committee for 2026 open call:

The Selection Committee of the Victoria Amelina Fellowship consists of nine members. Four members participate in the work of both Ukrainian and International Selection Committees. For 2026 open call, the Committee was:

General:

• Tetyana Teren (Founder and director of Tereny cultural agency);

• Sasha Dovzhyk (Head of INDEX: Institute for Documentation and Exchange);

• Yaryna Grusha (Author, translator, Member of the Executive Council at PEN Ukraine);

• Alex Amelin, a family representative.

Ukrainian:

• Hryhoriy Baran (Social Capital Program Director at International Renaissance Foundation);

• Oleksandra Matviichuk (Head of Center for Civil Liberties);

• Olena Stiazhkina (Writer and historian);

• Olga Rusina (Writer, member of the New York Literary Festival);

• Sofia Cheliak (Partnership manager at Veteranka).

International:

• Askold Melnyczuk (Editor and publisher at Arrowsmith Press);

• Charlotte Higgins (Chief culture writer at The Guardian);

• Francesca Melandri (Writer);

• Maria Tumarkin (Writer and Professor of Creative Writing, University of Melbourne);

• Markus Lux (Vice President of Robert Bosch Stiftung, Special Division Ukraine).

Feedback

Probably the most important part of my research was the opportunity to conduct several in-depth interviews. Index played a crucial role in this by helping to connect me with interviewees whose experiences and perspectives were essential to my work. Many of these interviews were conducted with the help of an interpreter provided by Index, which allowed for the much needed nuance, care, and accuracy. The conversations during my months in Ukraine really underlined the importance of attentive listening and ethical representation, themes that I believe resonate strongly with the legacy of Victoria Amelina.
Eva Peek, Victoria Amelina Fellow 2025