Cecil the Lion Had to Die

Cecil the Lion Had to Die is a 2021 novel by Ukrainian historian and writer Olena Stiazhkina published by Harvard University Press. ^[1]

In Ukrainian book criticism, the novel was recognized as a major work about eastern Ukraine. A 2022 review in the cultural outlet Tyktor described it as one of the strongest Ukrainian novels of the year and emphasised its blend of family saga and reflection on war and memory. ^[2]

Awards and Reception

• 2023, Winner of the Lviv-UNESCO City of Literature Award. ^{[3] [4]}
• Academic discussions have cited the novel in the context of war, migration and memory in contemporary Ukrainian literature. ^{[5] [6]}
• In a review by Asymptote, Lillian Posner writes that global attention to the 2015 killing of Cecil the lion, which prompted over 1.2 million “Justice for Cecil” petition signatures, eclipsed coverage of Russia's war against Ukraine, a contrast that Stiazhkina reworks as a metaphor in the novel. ^[7]

References

1. "The Death of Cecil the Lion Made Sense". frankfurtrights.com. Retrieved 2025-11-15.
2. "Смерть лева Сесіла мала сенс, Юлія Ємець-Доброносова". Krytyka (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 2022-04-29. Retrieved 2025-11-14.
3. Iryna, Savyuk (2024-01-11). "Olena Stiazhkina won the 2023 Lviv — UNESCO City of Literature Award" . Retrieved 2025-11-14.
4. "Cecil the Lion Had to Die". Harvard University Press. Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute. 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
5. Stiazhkina, Olena; Hoffman, Dominique (2024). Cecil the Lion Had to Die. Harvard University Press. ISBN   978-0-674-29164-5.
6. Babij, Larissa (2024-05-03). "Cecil the Lion Had to Die". Translation Review. 119 (1): 60–62. doi:10.1080/07374836.2024.2362607. ISSN   0737-4836.
7. Posner, Lillian (October 2024). "Lillian Posner reviews Cecil the Lion Had to Die by Olena Stiazhkina". Asymptote. Retrieved 15 November 2025.