Polish novel about Russia-Ukraine war wins Empik Bestsellers award

Twardoch based the novel on observations from his volunteer trips to eastern Ukraine. The title refers to “zero” — the front line where the events of the story unfold.

The main character is a soldier from the International Legion known by the nickname “Horse.” Through his perspective, Twardoch portrays not only the brutality of war but also its impact on human psychology and identity.

“First of all, I thank my readers who have read and continue to read this difficult and bleak book,” Twardoch said upon receiving the award. “For me, this is proof of the power of literature and proof that my writing carries some weight.”

The Empik Bestsellers award is given annually to books and music releases with the highest sales across the Empik retail network.

Null was also named the best book of 2025 in a readers’ vote organized by Gazeta Wyborcza.

The novel ranked second on Der Spiegel’s list of the 20 best books published in Germany in 2025 and is among the nominees for best book of 2025 in a readers’ poll conducted by the Lubimyczytać.pl portal.

A Ukrainian-language translation of the book is currently underway.