‘People need to tell stories’: Lviv holds literary festival in defiance of war

Writers at annual book event in Ukrainian city say storytelling and art have helped many endure violence

In a time of violence, warfare and bloodshed, what is the use of literature? This was a question addressed at the Lviv BookForum, a three-day literary festival in the Ukrainian city, staged despite - and in defiance of - the Russian invasion.

The festival has brought together Ukrainian, British and international authors including human rights lawyer Philippe Sands, whose bestselling book, East West Street, is largely set in 20th-century Lviv.