Martyr Herekol book fair comes to a close in Qamishlo
Countless new works were presented at Martyr Herekol book fair in Qamishlo. Despite attacks and a permanent state of war, literature is flourishing thanks to the Rojava revolution.
Over 143,000 books are being presented at the 8th Martyr Herekol book fair in Qamishlo. The event is the expression of a real cultural revolution, because the Rojava revolution created a profound social change that was reflected not only in the political and military struggle, but also in literature and culture.
The Martyr Herekol will close today, after a week of panels, presentations, discussions.
Under the Baathist regime, any expression of creativity was relentlessly suppressed, and writers could only express their thoughts freely at great risk. The region's linguistic treasure was negated, and only Arabic was allowed as the official and educational language. Works by authors who published in Arabic but did not represent the ideology of the Baath regime were not only banned, but also burned, confiscated and their authors imprisoned.
However, with the Rojava revolution, that regime of terror was broken. A new understanding of literature, a rich world of ideas and a diverse social consciousness emerged. New, multilingual and multicultural forms of expression have developed. This also laid the foundation for a renaissance of the languages and narratives of the region's various identities. Writings, poems and works became symbols of solidarity, resistance and hope. Today, authors write about social realities, struggles and dreams without fear or repression. The new literature that has emerged in Rojava is an expression of enormous cultural wealth, the situation of the people and collective memory. This literature combines historical pain, stories of resistance and the search for freedom and at the same time manifests a universal call. The book fair is a reflection of this call.
143,000 books presented
The book fair took place for the first time on 20 July 2017 and has since developed into a cultural highlight. After four months of preparation, it was opened on 15 October under the slogan "Let's make reading a lifestyle". A total of 54 publishers and institutions participated and presented readers with over 143,000 books from more than 15,000 works. Numerous publishers and writers from Northern, Southern and Eastern Kurdistan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Belgium, Great Britain, Egypt, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates attended this literary festival. A rich, multilingual program in Kurdish (Kurmancî and Soranî), Arabic, Turkish, English, Russian, French, Aramaic, Armenian and German was offered at the exhibition center. The shelves contained works of various genres, such as short stories, novels, poems, fairy tales, plays, scientific papers, philosophy, social sciences, politics, thought, history, language, grammar, dictionaries and children's books.
More works in Kurdish
About half of the books exhibited at this year's fair are Kurdish-language works. The fact that half of these books were written in Northern and Eastern Syria underlines the cultural productivity of the region. 25 percent of the books exhibited are by female writers. The growing importance of women as authors illustrates the social change in Rojava. The writings of Abdullah Öcalan in particular were given a special place at the book fair.
Women's resistance in novels and non-fiction
The Academy of Jineoloji has made significant literary contributions and promotes women's literature. Works such as "Educational Notes on Jineoloji" by Zozan Sima, "Ashes" by Nagihan Akarsel and "The Resistance of the Zeris" by Rojbîn Deniz impressively reflect the experiences, struggles and dreams of women. These books are an expression of collective memory, resistance and transformation. Each work is written from the perspective of women and addresses key issues such as gender liberation, freedom struggle and social change. Inspired by the concept of Jineoloji, the works emphasize the importance of women in society, their historical role and their potential for the future. They make it clear that literature can be an effective means of struggle. By combining profound philosophical reflections in “Ashes” and the gripping story “The Resistance of the Zeris”, these works help to amplify women's voices and increase their visibility. The regular magazine “Horizon of Women” also has a permanent place on the book fair shelves and presents women's perspectives and struggles in a variety of ways.
Kurdish language institutions participated in the book fair
For the first time, the Kurdish language institution also participated in the book fair. The eleven works it presented make an important contribution to the academic and cultural strengthening of the Kurdish language and literature. The efforts of the Saziya Zîmanê Kurdî (Kurdish Language Institution) to develop the language and literature of the revolution, its work to raise awareness of language in society and its goal of conveying social values through language aroused great interest among readers. The new impulses it gives to Kurdish literature were also well received. In addition, the SZK's participation in the fair is particularly important for the promotion of the Kurdish language and culture.
Equality and democracy education, focus in the children's area
The children's area attracted a lot of attention as it was particularly concerned with conveying values to the younger generation. Books, magazines, comics and stories are presented in this area. The focus was on conveying a collective life as well as peace, justice and equality.
Lively exchange at seminars and panel discussions
The book fair was accompanied by panels and seminars with titles such as "Literature and literary criticism in Rojava-Kurdistan", "The new wave of the Syrian novel and the effects of the war" and "History of Kurdish literature". In these seminars, writers and literature experts discussed not only the process of creating literary works, but also their social and historical context.
The panel discussion "Situation, vision and future horizons" offered participants the opportunity to develop a vision of the future of literature. At this table, ideas could collide and new perspectives emerge. Intensive discussions and collections of ideas at the fair gave literature new impulses and enriched the participants' worlds of thought.
