The Hippodrome

Elena Shvarts (1948–2010) was one of the most compelling poets to bridge the Soviet and post-Soviet eras. Writing in Russian as a part of the Leningrad literary underground in the 1970s and ’80s, Shvarts’s early poetry was published in samizdat (self-published/unofficial) journals and abroad. She eventually published over fifteen collections of poetry and prose and received open recognitions, including the Triumph Prize (2003) and the Gogol Prize for Prose (2004). (updated 10/2022)

Grace Mahoney, a scholar and translator of Ukrainian and Russian literature, is the translator of a book of Iyrna Starovoyt’s poetry, A Field of Foundlings (Lost Horse Press, 2017). Her translations have also been featured in harlequin creature, Ukrainian Literature: A Journal of Translations, and Ploughshares. She is series editor of the Lost Horse Press Contemporary Ukrainian Poetry Series. (updated 10/2022)

Emily Holt is the author of Though the Walls Are Lit (Lost Horse Press, 2020). Her poetry and essays have appeared in Poetry Ireland Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, AGNI, Hinterland, and the anthologies Hold Open the Door: The Ireland Chair of Poetry Commemorative Anthology and Brief Encounters: A Collection of Contemporary Nonfiction. She received a 2022–2023 Seattle CityArtist grant. (updated 10/2022)