SAFRAN publishing

SAFRAN publishing, also known as Safran Publishing or Сафран, is a Ukrainian independent publishing house founded in 2018 by Svitlana Pryzynchuk. It was established with a distinctive editorial mission: to introduce Asian culture to Ukrainian readers while also connecting Ukraine with wider international cultural exchange. The publisher focuses on works from Asia that have not previously been available in Ukrainian, making translation and cultural mediation central to its identity rather than treating them as secondary publishing services. The company grew out of Pryzynchuk's earlier interest in presenting Asian history and culture to a Ukrainian audience. Her first concept was a magazine about Asia, intended for distribution in public places such as airports and supported by advertising from Asian companies. That plan did not materialize after the Maidan Revolution disrupted the project's development. When she returned to publishing in 2016, she identified a shortage of Ukrainian-language material about Asia, particularly Asian literature, and began researching comparable publishing models in Europe. Safran Publishing was subsequently founded in 2018 and named after saffron, a spice associated with Asia and cultural exchange. Safran's catalogue is organized around three principal areas: classical literature, modern literature, and Asian comics. The comics program encompasses manga, Korean manhwa, and Taiwanese manhua. Its classical and literary publishing has included Ukrainian translations of works such as Zhuangzi and The Classic of Tea, while later activity increasingly emphasized Taiwanese manhua and Korean manhwa. The publisher has also worked with Taiwanese literature, including Wu Ming-yi's The Stolen Bicycle and Nownow's Guardienne. The selection process is driven primarily by editorial judgment, with a preference for works that broaden the range of Asian writing available in Ukrainian. The company operates with a small permanent core, including director and accounting functions, and assembles freelance teams for individual projects. Translators are generally specialists in Oriental Studies or related fields, and the personnel can vary according to the language, literary tradition, and subject matter of each title. By 2024, Safran had collaborated with approximately 80 experts. This project-based structure allows a relatively small publisher to handle works from different Asian cultures while retaining specialist input. Safran's audience consists mainly of adult readers, many of whom do not have prior professional or academic experience with Asia. This gives the publisher an educational and gateway function: its books are intended not only for established specialists but also for readers encountering Asian literature and visual storytelling for the first time. According to the available account of its publishing activity, Taiwanese manhua and The Classic of Tea have been among its most popular areas, while classical literature, modern literature, and nonfiction have generally attracted less mass interest. The publisher gained early recognition in 2019. It appeared at the Arsenal Book Festival with translations of Zhuangzi and The Classic of Tea. Zhuangzi was selected by PEN Ukraine among the best Ukrainian books of 2019, and The Classic of Tea received a special prize at the 2019 Book Forum Lviv awards. Safran's contacts with Taiwan also developed during this period, including a meeting between Pryzynchuk and Yu-Hsuan Hsu of the Taiwan Trade Center in Kyiv. Support from the Taiwanese government for translation projects helped deepen the publisher's engagement with Taiwanese literature and comics. Safran publishing therefore occupies a specialized position in Ukraine's book market: a small, culturally focused house whose catalogue combines literary translation, Asian studies, and comics publishing.

SAFRAN publishing was founded in Ukraine in 2018 by Svitlana Pryzynchuk. Its origins lie in Pryzynchuk's earlier ambition to create a publication devoted to Asia. The initial concept was a magazine distributed in public spaces, including airports, with advertising from Asian companies as its principal commercial support. The project was interrupted by the Maidan Revolution. When Pryzynchuk revisited the idea in 2016, she concluded that Ukrainian readers had limited access to material about Asia, particularly literature translated into Ukrainian. She studied European publishing houses and developed a more focused publishing model. The resulting company was named after saffron and given a dual cultural mission: to make Asian culture accessible in Ukraine and to help Ukraine participate in international cultural exchange. Rather than concentrating on one national tradition, Safran built a catalogue across several Asian literary and visual cultures. Its three main areas became classical literature, modern literature, and comics, including manga, manhwa, and manhua. The publisher generally prioritizes works that lack existing Ukrainian translations and relies on editorial assessment when choosing titles. Safran's first public profile was strengthened in 2019 through participation in the Arsenal Book Festival. The publisher presented translations of Zhuangzi and The Classic of Tea. These titles received important recognition: Zhuangzi was included in PEN Ukraine's list of the best books of 2019, while The Classic of Tea received a special prize at Book Forum Lviv. These awards helped establish Safran as a serious specialist publisher rather than simply a niche importer of foreign books. The same year also marked a significant turn toward Taiwan. At a book fair, Pryzynchuk met Yu-Hsuan Hsu, director of the Taiwan Trade Center in Kyiv. The contact encouraged further exploration of Taiwanese literature and introduced the possibility of governmental support for translation projects. Safran translated Wu Ming-yi's The Stolen Bicycle and later became interested in Nownow's Guardienne. Taiwanese manhua and Korean manhwa subsequently became especially important parts of its publishing activity. The publisher works through a hybrid organizational model. A small full-time staff supports the business, including director and accounting functions, while individual books are developed by freelance teams selected for the project. Translators are commonly specialists in Oriental Studies, and the personnel can change according to the source language and cultural context. By 2024, Safran had collaborated with around 80 experts. This arrangement gives the house access to specialized knowledge while keeping its permanent structure comparatively small. Its readership is predominantly adult and often does not have a professional or academic background in Asian studies. Safran therefore serves both a literary and an educational purpose, introducing unfamiliar traditions through translated classics, contemporary fiction, nonfiction, and comics. Taiwanese manhua and The Classic of Tea have been identified as particularly popular areas, while classical literature, modern literature, and nonfiction have generally been less commercially popular. The available sources do not provide detailed revenue, circulation, ownership, or current staffing information, but they describe Safran as an independent Ukrainian publisher with a continuing specialization in Asian works.

• 2024

  Safran reports collaboration with approximately 80 experts

  [1]Safran Publishingen.wikipedia.org

  The publisher's project-based model had involved about 80 experts, including specialist translators and other contributors.

• 2019

  Early titles gain festival and award recognition

  [1]Safran Publishingen.wikipedia.org

  Safran presents Zhuangzi and The Classic of Tea at the Arsenal Book Festival; Zhuangzi later appears in PEN Ukraine's best-books selection and The Classic of Tea receives a Book Forum Lviv special prize.

• 2019

  Taiwanese literature and comics become a major focus

  [1]Safran Publishingen.wikipedia.org

  A meeting with the Taiwan Trade Center in Kyiv contributes to Safran's expanded Taiwanese program and to later work on titles including The Stolen Bicycle and Guardienne.

• 2018

  Safran Publishing is founded

  [1]Safran Publishingen.wikipedia.org

  Svitlana Pryzynchuk establishes Safran Publishing in Ukraine as a house dedicated to introducing Asian culture through Ukrainian translations.

• 2016

  Pryzynchuk reformulates the Asia-focused publishing idea

  [1]Safran Publishingen.wikipedia.org

  After an earlier magazine concept failed to materialize, Svitlana Pryzynchuk returned to the idea of publishing about Asia and identified a shortage of Ukrainian-language Asian literature.

A specialist Ukrainian publisher and cultural bridge focused on translating Asian literature and comics into Ukrainian, especially works not previously available in the language.

• Classical literature · 2019

  Zhuangzi

  A Ukrainian translation of the classical Chinese philosophical work associated with Zhuang Zhou. It was among Safran's early flagship publications, appeared at the 2019 Arsenal Book Festival, and was selected by PEN Ukraine among the best Ukrainian books of that year.

• Classical literature and cultural nonfiction · 2019

  The Classic of Tea

  Safran's Ukrainian edition of a classical Chinese work centered on tea culture. The title was presented at the Arsenal Book Festival in 2019 and received a special prize at the Book Forum Lviv awards, helping establish the publisher's reputation for culturally significant Asian translations.

• Modern Taiwanese literature

  The Stolen Bicycle

  A Ukrainian translation of Wu Ming-yi's Taiwanese literary novel. Work on the title formed part of Safran's developing Taiwan-focused program after the publisher established contact with Taiwan-related cultural and trade institutions.

• Taiwanese manhua

  Guardienne

  A Taiwanese comics work by Nownow that became part of Safran's expanding interest in Taiwanese visual storytelling. Its inclusion reflected the publisher's broader move toward Asian comics alongside literary translation.

• Manga, manhwa, and manhua

  Asian comics program

  Safran publishes Asian comics across Japanese manga, Korean manhwa, and Taiwanese manhua. The program is aimed primarily at Ukrainian readers seeking works not previously translated into Ukrainian, and Taiwanese manhua and Korean manhwa later became central to the company's catalogue.

• 2019

  Deepens its Taiwan-focused programStrategy

  Background

  Contact with the Taiwan Trade Center in Kyiv increased Pryzynchuk's interest in Taiwanese literature and created access to support for translation projects.

  Action taken

  Safran pursued Taiwanese titles, including The Stolen Bicycle and Guardienne, and subsequently made Taiwanese manhua and Korean manhwa prominent parts of its catalogue.

  Aftermath

  The publisher's activity broadened from classical and modern Asian literature toward a stronger emphasis on Taiwanese and Korean comics.

  Source

• 2018

  Launches a specialist Asian-literature publishing houseStrategy

  Background

  Pryzynchuk identified limited Ukrainian access to Asian literature and decided that a dedicated publishing house would be more viable than the earlier Asia-focused magazine concept.

  Action taken

  Safran Publishing was established with a catalogue strategy centered on classical literature, modern literature, and Asian comics translated into Ukrainian.

  Aftermath

  The company developed a distinct position as Ukraine's first publishing house specifically focused on Asian publications.

  Source

• 2019

  Safran Publishing presents Zhuangzi and The Classic of Tea at the Arsenal Book Festival[1]Safran Publishingen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The publisher participated in the Arsenal Book Festival with Ukrainian translations of Zhuangzi and The Classic of Tea, two early titles that helped establish its Asian-literature profile.

• 2019

  Zhuangzi recognized among PEN Ukraine's best books of 2019[1]Safran Publishingen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Safran's Ukrainian translation of Zhuangzi was included in PEN Ukraine's selection of the best Ukrainian books of 2019.

• 2019

  The Classic of Tea receives a special Book Forum Lviv prize[1]Safran Publishingen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The Classic of Tea received a special prize in the 2019 Book Forum Lviv awards, bringing recognition to Safran's translation program.

• 2019

  Safran expands its Taiwanese publishing focus[1]Safran Publishingen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Following contact with the Taiwan Trade Center in Kyiv, Safran developed a stronger interest in Taiwanese literature and comics, with translation support from the Taiwanese government contributing to the program.

1. 1Safran Publishingen.wikipedia.org
2. 2SAFRAN publishing official websitesafranbook.com