The Europe-wide ‘Books Without Borders’ project was created under the patronage of Ukraine First Lady Olena Zelenska. 

In the UK the project has been organised by the Ukrainian Embassy. 

Halstan’s involvement came about following a chance encounter at the London Book Fair, where chief executive Rupert Smith was introduced to the Ukrainian ambassador by PLS. 

“They were looking for printers to help with the printing. We had a willingness to help and it’s all come together fantastically. We’re really proud to be involved with it,” Smith said.

“We are honoured to have the opportunity to support Ukrainian families entering the UK in this way. This project aims to provide young readers with many much-loved books from their homeland so they can feel connected and hopefully find some comfort, while assisting with their education and development whilst they are away from home.”

Production of the books was funded through substantial donations by PLS and Halstan, with additional support from Canon’s Commercial Print Division and Premier Paper. 

The books included picture books, novels and other titles suitable for ages from three to 17, and were sourced from Ukrainian publishers who gave permission for their content to be reproduced. 

Amersham-based Halstan used its Canon VarioPrint iX3200 B3 single-pass sheetfed inkjet press for the colour work.

The iX3200 was installed last year as part of a £2.5m investment that included an automated book finishing line.

The British Library event included a virtual appearance from First Lady Zelenska

A special launch event to highlight the availability of the books took place yesterday (11 August) at the British Library in London. 

It was attended by refugee families, Ukrainian Ambassador Vadym Rystaiko, and representatives from all the organisations involved in the project. 

First Lady Zelenska made a surprise appearance and joined the event virtually. She spoke to the children in attendance and took part in a book reading.

She said: “Books not only entertain and educate us - they also unite us and bring us back to a feeling of home. This project is our victory on the cultural front, and it brings our primary victory closer.

“I am grateful to everyone who has contributed to this project. Displaced Ukrainian children will now be able to enjoy a mini library at home.”

Smith added: “As a printer you don’t often get to see what you produce being used by the end user. To see these kids picking up the books and reading them was wonderful.

“A huge thanks to the organisations that have donated and supported this fantastic project.”

In addition, the Bookmark Reading Charity has donated an additional 1,000 books from its Bookbox campaign to the project.  

The Ukrainian Embassy and Department for Education are now organising the distribution of the books. 

The UK project is being mirrored across Europe, where it has support from the Federation of European Publishers