Vitalii Zapeka is a contemporary Ukrainian writer, volunteer, and soldier, author of the novel Tsutsyk (Little Mutt) and Heroes of Wrong Times. His writing, born from the experience of war, is infused with both pain and humanity. Zapeka combines frontline truth with imagination, crafting heartfelt stories about people and dogs, about loss and hope, that resonate deeply with readers.
✨ Before the war, he worked as a photographer and journalist, but began writing seriously at the frontline. 🐕 His novel Tsutsyk is narrated from the perspective of a dog – a rare device in Ukrainian prose. 📖 Tsutsyk has been translated into Polish and other languages, warmly received abroad. ⚔️ He served in the “Poltava” battalion and fought from the first days of the war. 💡 Says he writes “on his knee,” whenever he has a moment between duty and volunteering. 📚 Zapeka also writes fairy tales and short stories. 🎤 Often meets readers, especially soldiers who see their own experiences in his words. 🔥 His works are described as “new frontline prose.” 😅 Funny fact: once joked that if not for the war, he’d have written a cookbook of “field recipes.” 🤔 Curious fact: during one presentation, a fan asked him to sign a dog collar so that “Tsutsyk” would have the author’s autograph.