Contra Spem Spero Pillow — Lesya Ukrainka | Hope Against Hope

"Without hope, I hope." Lesya Ukrainka wrote Contra spem spero in 1890, aged nineteen and already living with serious illness, and turned it into one of the most defiant poems in the Ukrainian language. Sow flowers on the frost, she writes; water them with bitter tears; live anyway. More than a century later, it is the line a whole nation reaches for.

This double-sided accent pillow brings that quiet defiance into your reading nook, armchair or bed.

The Design

• Front: "Contra Spem Spero" in gold above a single seedling glowing in the dark, with "I hope against hope" beneath, on deep midnight blue framed in fine gold.
• Back: four stanzas of the poem, original Ukrainian and English translation side by side.

Product Features

• Double-sided print, so it looks right from every angle.
• 100% spun polyester cover that resists wrinkles and holds its shape.
• Concealed zipper.
• Insert included: recycled 100% polyester, sized slightly larger than the cover for a full, plump look.
• Available in 14" × 14", 16" × 16" and 18" × 18".

Made to Order

Printed when you order to minimise waste. Please allow 3–5 days for production before dispatch.

Care

Remove the cover before washing. Machine wash max 40°C (104°F) on a normal cycle. Do not bleach or dry-clean. Tumble dry low; iron or steam on low heat only.

EU representative: HONSON VENTURES LIMITED, gpsr@honsonventures.com, 3, Gnaftis House flat 102, Limassol, Mesa Geitonia, 4003, CY

Product information: Generic brand, two year warranty in the EU and Northern Ireland

Care instructions: Remove the pillow cover. Pre-treat the stains with soft cloth or bristle brush that had been soaked in warm soapy water. Machine wash, max 40°C (104°F), normal cycle. Do not bleach, tumble dry on low, do not dry-clean. Iron, steam, or dry low heat only. Fluff to reshape when assembling it back together.