What do you pack when you have twenty minutes to flee a war?
That question sits at the heart of one of the most extraordinary live events coming to Settle Stories this Refugee Week. ‘How NOT to Flee a War’ is a talk that has left audiences at the National Holocaust Centre, the University of Leeds, and the Towersey Festival genuinely shaken, moved, and quietly changed. It is coming to us. And it is one you should be in the room for.
Refugee Week runs from 16 to 22 June and exists to celebrate the contributions, creativity, and resilience of people who have been forced to flee. This year, we are proud to be hosting an event that does exactly that, and does it through the most powerful tool we know: a real, human story, told by the people who lived it.
The Story
On the morning of 24th February 2022, Ukrainian journalist Maria Romanenko and her British partner Jez Myers woke to the sound of explosions in Kyiv. Maria was on a Russian kill list. The city was under attack. They had no plan, no emergency bag, no clear route out. What followed was a chaotic, frightening, and occasionally darkly funny attempt to reach safety, packing the wrong things, making questionable decisions, and relying on the kindness of strangers along the way.
Their escape from Kyiv to Manchester became one of the most widely shared refugee stories UK audiences have encountered. Featured on the BBC, ITV, Sky News, and CNN, Maria and Jez have since turned that experience into a talk that does something the headlines simply cannot: it puts you inside the story.
This is not a lecture. It is not a political briefing. It is two ordinary people, extraordinary visuals, and the kind of storytelling that gets under your skin before you even realise it has.
Why It Matters Right Now
Refugee stories UK audiences encounter are too often told through statistics, policy debates, and rolling news. What gets lost is the texture of a real life: the butter and the wine bottle that made it into the suitcase, the soldiers on the motorway, the family left behind, the love and the loss woven through every mile of the journey.
Nicola Strauther, Director of Learning and Engagement at the National Holocaust Centre, put it perfectly: “They didn’t just describe the conflict; they humanised it. We laughed, we cried, and we questioned. It was storytelling at its most raw and real.”
That is what Settle Stories has always believed. Stories build bridges. Stories shift understanding. Stories make the world a little less frightening and a little more connected, one room at a time.
Refugee Week is the ideal moment to sit with that belief, to give it space, and to let it in.
Who Are Maria and Jez?
Maria Romanenko is a former editor-in-chief of Hromadske International, one of Ukraine’s best-known news organisations, and the only Ukrainian to receive the Prime Minister’s Points of Light Award. She has conducted over 1,000 media interviews since arriving in the UK and is one of the most respected voices on the Ukrainian experience in Britain today.
Jez Myers is a community champion and co-founder of All For Ukraine, a ‘Pride of Manchester’ Award winner, and chairperson of the Spirit of Manchester Awards. Together, they are funny, honest, devastating, and completely gripping.
Any profits from their talks go directly towards supporting partner charities in Ukraine and displaced Ukrainians in the UK.
What People Are Saying
“Fascinating and deeply moving… their talk is topical, important and will be of interest to anyone interested in current affairs and humanitarian issues.” Dr Sarah Hudspith, University of Leeds.
“The brutal honesty shared makes for a truly eye-opening experience, which is particularly relevant considering the volatility of our current international climate.” Frankie Blake Greenslade, Nouse.
Come and Be in the Room
There are refugee stories UK audiences will carry for a long time. This is one of them.
This is the kind of evening that reminds you why live storytelling matters, why shared space matters, and why Refugee Week matters. Settle Stories is delighted to host Maria and Jez, and we would love to see you there.
Tickets are available now. Do not leave it too late; events like this fill up, and this one deserves a full room.
Book your place here: https://settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/how-not-to-flee-a-war/
