Associate Professor, Department of Literary Studies, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Since 2004, Director of the Smoloskyp Publishing House.

His scientific articles have been published in professional periodicals, the Krytyka journal and the Dzerkalo Tyzhnia newspaper, and his reviews are published on the LitAccent literary portal and in The Ukrainian Week magazine. Semkiv has translated fiction and non-fiction books, and is the author of several non-fiction books. Member of the Ukrainian PEN Centre.

At the 10^th International Book Arsenal Festival, he curates the focus theme—OPTIMISTS SKEPTICS.

‘The focus theme of this year’s Book Arsenal Festival—OPTIMISTS SKEPTICS—marks the two poles of our attitude to the present with a projection for the future. In fact, optimism lays the ground for moving on, even overcoming difficulties, and healthy skepticism gives a chance not to make mistakes. Whether we have optimism is in line with the question of whether we have future. But do we have enough skepticism not to be groundless optimists? During the focus theme events we will discuss all these vital issues.