Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, June 01, 2024
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| Parvane Mammadli, Literary Scholar |
In an interview with Voice of America, literary scholar Parvane Mammadli discussed her book The Pioneers of 20th Century South Azerbaijani Literature, published in Turkey. The book, published by Ötüken Publishing House, was recently introduced in a presentation ceremony held in Istanbul.
“This book was a pleasant event in my life. It was first published in Baku 8 years ago. Later, an article about the book was published in Türk Yurdu magazine in Turkey. Ötüken Publishing House proposed to distribute the book. I was surprised that such a prestigious publishing house would print it,” Mammadli stated.
In her book, Mammadli provides detailed information about the lives and literary works of these writers and poets.
“The writers in the book include Mirza Agha Tabrizi, who was the successor of Mirza Fathali Akhundzadeh, the founder of dramaturgy in Iran. Mirza Hassan Rushdie, who was the first to open new-style schools in Iran. Mirza Ali Shabestari, who is considered the Sabir of South Azerbaijan and wrote beautiful Turkish poems. Tagikhan Rafet, who studied in Turkey and brought new literature from Europe to Iran, marking the beginning of modern poetry in Iran. Javad Heyat, who displayed the spiritual identity of Turks in Iran through the Varliq magazine. Ali Tabrizli, the ideologue of Turkish-identity in Iran,” Mammadli pointed out some of the writers featured in the book.
According to the researcher, “These creative individuals left their mark not only in South Azerbaijan but also throughout Iran, and they made great contributions. Naturally, most of them wrote in Turkish.”
The book The Pioneers of 20th Century South Azerbaijani Literature also provides information about the lives and works of well-known writers and poets such as Habib Sahir, Shahriyar, Ganjali Sabahi, Hamid Nitqi, Mohammadali Farzaneh, Mohammadtaghi Zehtabi, Bulud Qarachorlu (Sahand), Reza Baraheni, Ghulamhussein Saidi, Alireza Nabdil, and Samad Behrangi.
Parvane Mammadli emphasized that “these writers were at the forefront of literary processes in South Azerbaijan. What is the purpose of literature in general? It aims to influence masses, create artistic taste in them, and return them to their national identity and themselves... Despite everything, despite all the difficulties, they were trying to return the forgotten language and lost identity to the people.”
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Pərvanə Məmmədli: Bu yazarlar İran Azərbaycanında ədəbiyyat prosesinin önündə gediblər