"The Forest of Gods," "Happiness is a Fox" and creative workshops for children - at the Baku Book Fair
From October 1-7, the 11th International Baku Book Fair is taking place in the capital of Azerbaijan, where the Lithuanian Embassy presented its national stand.
At the Lithuanian stand, visitors can familiarize themselves with works by Lithuanian authors translated into Azerbaijani, books about Lithuania, and the works of composer and artist M.K. Čiurlionis. In cooperation with the National Library of Azerbaijan, Lithuanian books from the National Library's collection were also exhibited. Ukrainian symbols can also be seen at the Lithuanian stand.
During the fair, the Azerbaijani translation of B. Sruoga's novel Dievų miškas (The Forest of the Gods) was presented, with the participation of the book's translator, literary scholar, publicist, and chairman of the Lithuanian Azerbaijani Society, Mahir Gamzajev who also spoke with readers. "My main goal is to reveal the ancient and little-known historical and cultural ties between Azerbaijan and the Baltic nations, to reveal their significance and to build new meaningful cultural bridges. I strive to bring our countries closer together spiritually, expand the network of good neighborly relations, and strengthen mutual ties," said M. Gamzajevas.
The fair also featured the presentation of the Azerbaijani translation of the children's book Laimė yra lapė (Happiness is a Fox) by Lithuanian author Evelina Daciūtė and illustrator Aušra Kiudulaitė, as well as creative workshops for young readers which attracted a lot of interest.
During the events, Lithuanian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Kęstutis Vaškelevičius emphasized the importance of cultural projects for the development of bilateral relations between Lithuania and Azerbaijan: "Literature and book projects are important for strengthening our bilateral relations. Through translations, publishing and literature exchanges, both nations can better understand each other's history, values, and traditions, and strengthen mutual respect and trust."
Over the weekend, presentations of Lithuanian culture in Azerbaijan moved beyond the fair: presentations of the book Laimė yra lapė (Happiness is a Fox) and creative workshops were organized at the Lithuanian school in Baku and the Ali and Nino bookstore. During these events, young readers not only listened to inspiring stories from the book's author Evelina Daciūtė and illustrator Aušra Kiudulaitė, but also created their own stories, immersing themselves in the tales and thus becoming directly acquainted with Lithuanian literature and culture.
Participation in the Baku Book Fair is not only a presentation of Lithuanian literature, but also an invitation to communicate, share, create meaningful connections between people, and increase awareness of Lithuania.
