Publication of an anthology of poetry by Azerbaijani women writers over the centuries

Sponsoring organization:
UNESCO

Project Duration:
December 15, 2013 – 30 iyul 2014

Partner organization in USA:
Alison Mandaville, Poet-translator, Professor of Fresno Califonia State University

Project Description:
Sonmaz Mashal Cultural Relations Public Union project team has published a book of the selected works of the Azerbaijani women writers from to different historical periods. The poetical samples have been presented in both languages-Azerbaijani and English. The poems translated into English are accompanied by the illustrations and archival photographs expressing national colour.

The book of “Anthology of Poetry by Women in Azerbaijan” serves to support and put light on the historical and contemporary role of Azerbaijani women and vividly demonstrates the creative potential and increasing role of the Azerbaijani women in society.

The aim of the project:
The published anthology will offer the world’s peoples a better understanding of the remarkable roles of women in our nation and history—which, in turn, raises the esteem and awareness of women writers and gender issues within the country itself. Offering the selected literary samples of literature to people around the women will accelerate the integration of our country as a newly-independent nation into the democratic processes going on in the world. The works and illustrations will exemplify a region dealing with challenges to national psychology, traditional and modern lifestyles. The history and values of our people represented in the historical and contemporary selections will serve to establish a bridge between the literary environments of Azerbaijan and English speaking countries, particularly in the area of gender development.

It will help support a struggling literary environment within the country today by offering a volume that can be used in educational and cultural activities within the country, bringing the historical literature to the internet.

A published print book of women’s writing reflecting the culture, art, lifestyle, history of the Azerbaijani people, published in both Azerbaijani and English have been disseminated to teachers of Azerbaijani literature at all the Universities in the country and placed at local libraries. Besides, the anthology have been presented to the Embassies of the foreign countries to Azerbaijan and the National Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan for UNESCO to be distributed to represent Azerbaijani people as a nation, and women as a key contributor to that nation, to the world community.