Tarana Turan Rahimli was born into an educated family on February 20, in 1970, in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan, author of 9 books and more than 500 articles. Two books were published in Turkish, one in Italian, and six in Azerbaijani. During 1977 and 1987 she studied at the secondary school number 48 in Baku and at the secondary school number 1 in the city of Barda. In 1990 she entered the faculty of philology of Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University and graduated from University in 1995. Just during the studentship years (1991-1994) she worked at the newspaper “Ganj muallim” (Young teacher) of ASPU, after graduating the university she worked as the responsible secretary of that newspaper (1994-2000) , then she became editor-in-chief ( 2000-2007) of that newspaper. Meanwhile, during 1996-1997 she was the responsible secretary of the newspaper “ Zaman” ( Time) , in 1999 she was the editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Azerbaijan fighters”, during 2007-2008 she became the editor-in-chief of the newspaper “ Tahsil problemleri” ( Educational problems). She worked at the Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University for 33 years and had a scientific career path from laboratory assistant to associate professor. In 2004 she defended candidate of sciences on the theme of “Creative activity of Kamal Talibzade”, and got the degree of candidate of philology. In 2021, he defended his dissertation to receive the scientific degree of Doctor of Philological Sciences. She researches in the field of Azerbaijan literature, literature of Turkey, The literature of Bati Trakya, Russian literature, Japanese literature, the literature of western countries, Azerbaijani literary critic. For many years, she gave lectures on the history of Azerbaijani literary studies, literary relations, literature of Western countries, literature of East Slavic peoples, Japanese literature, modern Azerbaijani literature, literature of Turkic peoples at Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University and Baku State University.
Since 1992 she is the member of Azerbaijan Ashugs Union, (on poetry), since 1994 she is the member of Union of Azerbaijani writers, since 1998 she is the member of the Council of Constitutor of World Young Turkish Writers , since 1999 she is the member of Union of Azerbaijani writers , since 2007 she is the member of well-known honorable organization in Turkey – Cyprus Balkan Eurasia Turkish Literature Organization. She is the staff member of academic journal of “History and thinking” of Turkish World Studying Organization.
She is the founder of literary unities as “Qar Chicheyi” ( Primrose) and “Addimlar” ( Steps) ( ASPU), like the member of Union of World Young Turkish Writers she took an active part in compiling and publishing the poetry Anthologies titled as “Qar Chicheyi” , “Addimlar” and “The voice of Turk”.
Including she is engaged in writing poetry and prose, literary criticism, publicism and translation. Her scientific works were published in Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Italy, Iran, Chile, Russia, England, Cyprus, Romania and other countries.She was the participant of a number of international symposiums, conference, and literary events.
In Turkey her two books “They will recognize me from my love” (Izmir, 2013,) “The poem that I didn’t write to you” (Ankara, 2013) have been published. Including her monograph “The decent follower of the Great generation” about Kamal Talibzade, the eminent literary critic, Academic of Azerbaijan ( Baku, ADPU publishing house, 2002), the poetry collection of “The Whisper of Grief” (Baku, ADPU publishing house, 2007), textbooks titled as “The creative problems of literature and literary critic” (Baku, “Europe” publishing house, 2009), a scientific book titled as “From the literature to eternity” (Baku, YSEQ publication, 2015) have been published. In 2017 the monograph “The Azerbaijani prose and criticism” (Baku, “Science and Education” publishing house, 2017) was published and awarded with the honorary decree of the Union of Writers of Azerbaijan. In 2018, the book “Purple Clouds /translations from world poetry/” (Baku, ADPU publishing house, 2018) was published. She is book “Ho amato persino la pietra” was published in Italy in 2023 by “Cuscino di Stelle” publishing house with the translation of Claudia Piccinno.
She translated the poems of about 200 world poets from Turkish, Russian and English into Azerbaijani. In 2024, he translated the poems of the Italian poet Claudia Piccinno into Azerbaijani and published this translated book in Azerbaijan called “Sessiz haray”.
She has been awarded with more than 50 international awards and 300 honorary degrees and diplomas.
AWARDS:
– 2009 – “Scientific Book of the Year” IX Baku Cultural Prize of the National Book Day of Azerbaijan,
– 2013 – “Service to the Turkish World Award” at the International Baku Meeting of the World Young Turkish Writers Union;
– 2014 – International “Akif Samad” Award of the Union of Activist Artists of Turkey;
– 2016 – International Rasul Reza prize of Azerbaijan Writers’ Union;
– 2016 – International Literary Festival prize of the Pablo Neruda Cultural Center in Italy;
– 2016 – “International golden bridge” literary prize of Bari Aldo Moro University in Italy;
– 2016- International Mikayil Mushfig Award in Azerbaijan;
– 2016 – “Honorable Service Award” of Kirkuk Cultural Association;
– 2017-Winner of “Veliero” International poetry competition in Terra Melissa, Calabria, Italy.
– 2018 – “World Literature Prize — 2018” of the Writers’ Union of World Nations in Kazakhstan;
– 2019 – “Golden pen” award of the Writers’ Union of Kyrgyzstan;
– 2020 – Diploma of winner of “Ossi de Seppia” International poetry competition in Italy;
– 2020 – Gujarat Sahitya Academy Award in India;
2020 – “Turan Union” medal of Central Asian “Yangi Ovoz” Writers Union in Kyrgyzstan;
– 2021 – “Iva Bogdani” International Award in Kosovo;
– 2021 – International literary award of the World Poetry Brotherhood in Texas;
– 2022- International Gazi Nazrul Islam Jubilee Award of Sahitya Pata in Bangladesh;
– 2022 – “Golden heart” international poetry prize of the World Academy in Romania;
– 2023 – Humanism and creativity in Syria International cultural forum award;
– 2023 – “Excellence in Art” award of the Hispanic World Writers Association in Mexico/
– 2024 – 1st place prize of the International Poetry Competition “Ossi di Seppia” in the commune of Taggia in Italy, etc.
I AM A WOMAN
I’m not an artist,
but I know colors that many artists don’t.
The color of love, the color of longing,
the color of pain…
I’m not a composer,
but I hear sounds
that every composer doesn’t hear.
The sound of separation, sadness, hope.
I am not a gardener,
but I know the fragrance of
months and days like flowers.
My life is decorated
with a fragrant garland of bright emotions.
I am not an artist,
I am not a composer,
I am not a gardener…
I am a woman,
created by God at an auspicious hour.
in my eyes, in my heart
is God the light of love
I AM NOT THE ONE IN THE MIRROR
It ran, looked, familiar face,
followed a piece of life.
I looked around for myself.
I’m not the one in the mirror.
It was ice statue in the stone mirror,
Frozen ice looking in the mirror.
My eyes are spring, summer, winter in the mirror,
I’m not the one in the mirror.
Luck it was my mirror reflects my luck
shows me a golden bed.
My God, what a happy shows
I’m not the one in the mirror.
My shots were numerous,
My eyes don’t even smile.
The mirror can’t look at me
I’m not the one in the mirror.
I WAS SO QUIET THEY MET WITH WITH A STONE
What place was this?
Who sent me here?
The giants saw the way
They made me travel a hundred miles.
They didn’t hear what I heard
They didn’t suffer enough.
They left no space in me
Say, where did I hide me?!
They took my spring like winter
They were confused as to what I did.
They knew I was quiet
They pushed me against the wall.
IF YOU WROTE LETTER
You wrote a letter,
No fragrance, no breath.
In one of the lines
No sound of your heart
You wrote a letter,
It was cold-blooded.
Warm but saying no word
How did you send it?
You wrote a letter,
Feeling, emotionless.
My mind was restless
I stayed sleepless.
You wrote a letter,
As the blind’s staff
scratches the ground.
As engraver wrote
on his headstone…
(English translation by Anit Roy)
Prepared Angela Kosta Academic, journalist, writer, poet, essayist, literary critic, editor, translator