Issue 35 - April 2007

Publishing in the Kurdish language – two new studies released by Next Page

In its ongoing efforts to research and promote neglected topics on publishing-related issues, Next Page has just released its two recent studies of Kurdish-language publishing in Syria and Turkey. Looking at the two countries separately, the studies provide an up-to-date "map" of Kurdish-language book publishing, including statistical data and contextual information on the entire book chain – from the creators through publishers, printers, wholesalers and bookshops all the way to consumers. They also provide an illuminating introduction into the history of writing and publishing in the Kurdish language that will be beneficial for both expert and novice readers alike. The extensive field work and the consultant, M. Malmisanij’s many years of experience greatly contributed to filling the gaps in this poorly documented field.

The full-text of the studies is available at:

On Syria: http://www.npage.org/IMG/pdf/Syria.pdf

On Turkey: http://www.npage.org/article126.html

New books published

Mina Qirici, How God Created the Roma. Romani Fairy Tales from Albania, in Romani (Cultural Multi-ethnic Association Equal) supported by the Grants Program of VORBA project

Being one of the few books published in Romani during the last decade in Albania, the publication strives to attract a wide audience and cover topics of interest for all Roma. Mina Qirici has written and adapted for children and young people tales based on the most popular motifs of Roma traditional tales and stories collected in Albania. How God Created the Roma comprises of 20 selected tales from the rich Roma folklore illustrated with graphics. The stories narrate about the origins of Roma, the clever Roma craftsmen who prove their wisdom, the poor Roma boy overcoming obstacles and becoming a king. Texts are adjusted for the needs of Roma children and young adults who rarely can benefit in practice from the right to reading and be educated in their mother language guaranteed to the largest national minority of 100,000 Roma by the Albanian constitution.

As part of the promotion of this book, reading activities will be undertaken by Roma community organizations from Albania. Some of the most compelling stories will be presented through drama to children and adults by a group of actors in Shkodra and Tirana.

Marina Sokolyan, Kodlo, Experimental Researches, translation from Ukrainian by Marina Sokolyan (Idea Press publishers, Moscow 2006), supported by the East Translates East Program

The Russian translation and publication of the debut novel (2003) by the young poet, writer and publicist, Marina Sokolyan, continues the successful “Idea Press” series, presenting contemporary Ukrainian literature. The critical reviews define the work as “uncommon event in a contemporary fiction”, and draw attention to the exquisite and well-cultivated language and to the complex intellectual references towards English literature. Let’s hope that this publication will promote not only the Ukrainian fiction of today, but will also intensify the publicity of Marina Sokolyan, whose next novel “Ballade for the Crooked Varga” (2005) is already a noteworthy fact in the Ukrainian literary space.