Ukrainian poet Yulia Musakovska has been shortlisted for The Asian Prize for Poetry 2025 with her poem Natural Disaster.
The poet wrote the poem in Ukrainian and translated it into English by Olena Jennings.
The theme of this year’s prize was “Earth”, with each author offering their perspective “with striking diversity and depth, bringing their own unique cultural and literary approach to the topic”.
In total, ten works from Ukraine, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Botswana, Vietnam, India, Malaysia, and the Philippines were nominated for the prize. According to the organizers, such geographical breadth reflects the desire to create a truly international platform for poetic expression. In addition, the texts were submitted to the jury anonymously.
The shortlist includes: Natural Disaster, Yulia Musakovska (Ukraine); The Roots of My Feet, Danny I. Yatima (Indonesia); The Infinity Circle, Akuratiya Withanaj Alian Widujit (Sri Lanka); The River of Thoughts, Doan Nguyen Anh Minh (Vietnam); Howl, Rex Tan Chwan Shiu (Malaysia).
The winner will be announced on December 15, 2025.
