Biography
Origin and Education
Irena Karpa was born on December 8, 1980 in the city of Cherkasy. Since childhood, her path passed through picturesque places — Ivano-Frankivsk and Yaremche, where she attended an art school and immersed herself in the world of painting.
In 1998, she entered Kyiv National Linguistic University, where she studied French philology. She graduated in 2003 with the degree of master of English and French languages and foreign literature.
Family
Irena's younger sister, Galyna Karpa, also chose a creative path, becoming a writer and editor-in-chief of the art magazine "Azh".
Music
In 1999, Irena became the soloist and songwriter of the "Actually Ourselves" band, which in 2007 transformed into "Qarpa". Their music is an explosive combination:
- industrial
- punk rock
- hardcore
- psychedelic trip-hop
Literature
Her literary debut is "Demolished Burnt" (2000).
In 2004-2005, she traveled to Southeast Asia — an experience that formed the basis of the novel "Freud would cry."
One of the most discussed works is "Good and Evil" (2008), at the same time the winner of the "Golden Bull" and a favorite of Correspondent" magazine.
Media and Cinema
In parallel with Irena's writings:
- worked as a journalist and TV presenter at ICTV, Inter, MTV Ukraine
- starred in several films
- directed the short film "Kyiv. Limited Edition"
Honors
- Grand Prix "Granoslov" (1999)
- "Best Ukrainian Awards-2006" — "The most fashionable writer"
Personal Life
- She was married to the writer Anton Friedlyand
- Later — with the American financier Norman Paul Hansen
Non-literary hobbies
Irena actively shares her knowledge, conducting:
- cooking workshops
- Thai massage lessons