Ukrainian version of latest Harry Potter book was first translation released in Europe (01/18/04)

Ukrainian version of latest Harry Potter book was first translation released in Europe

by Oksana Zakydalsky

LVIV - Harry Potter made headlines again in Ukraine during 2003, as the Ukrainian translation of the fifth volume in the beloved series was launched in Kyiv on November 6. And, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" in Ukrainian was the first translation to be issued in Europe.

But this was not the milestone that most pleased its publisher, Ivan Malkovych, who was quoted as saying, "We did not set out to be the first in Europe. The most important thing for us was the fact that by publishing volume 5 three months before the Russian version comes out we will be able to pull over to the Ukrainian side thousands of readers who read the previous volumes in Russian." (The previous Ukrainian Harry Potters came out after they were already in print in Russian).

The 2003 schedule of publication of translations of volume 5 was: Ukraine - November 6, Germany - November 6, Netherlands - November 22, France - December 22 and Russia - February 22, 2004. The book was launched in Lviv on November 7.

The Ukrainian volume 5 is published, as were the previous four volumes, by Mr. Malkovych's A-BA-BA-HA-LA-MA-HA publishing house, with a first printing of 60,000 volumes, already oversubscribed. The translation once again is by Viktor Morozov, and the cover designed by the publisher's artist, Vladislav Yerko.

Most translated versions - for example, Polish, Czech and Russian - use the American-designed cover and Mr. Malkovych said he is very proud of the fact that the Ukrainian publication - like the German, French and Italian - received the right to have its own cover design.

Mr. Malkovych is also pleased that he has received a large order for the books from two of Russia's biggest publishing houses and plans to go to Moscow in December to launch the Ukrainian translation.