The book “Kingdom of the Willows” translated and published in the Azerbaijani language by the State Translation Centre in cooperation with the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Azerbaijan (the author: Venezuelan poetess Ana Maria Oviedo Palomares) was presented to the general public on October 02, 2024 at the 10th Baku International Book Fair.

Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Latin American countries accredited to Azerbaijan ‒ Mr. Christopher Alberto Martinez Berroteran, Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Maria Victoria Romero Caballero, Ambassador of the United Mexican States, Mr. Carlos Enrique Valdes de la Concepcion, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba, Mr. Luis Fernando Cuartas Ayala, Ambassador of the Republic of Colombia, and other guests participated in the event which started with the demonstration of the video footage on the projects implemented by the Centre in promoting Latin American literature in the country.

Afaq Masud, Board Chair of the Centre, People’s Writer, opening the event with an introduction speech, spoke about the interest and love for Latin American literature in Azerbaijan, and the artistic merits of the book.

Ana Maria Oviedo Palomares expressed her gratitude to the State Translation Centre for the attention to her creativity, and noted that literature and the artistic word are the most effective tools that bring people closer to one another, deepen friendship and understanding. Then she recited her own poetry. Later, Mahir Garayev, the author of the literary translation of the book and the notable poet-translator,  Mr. Christopher Alberto Martinez Berroteran, Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to Azerbaijan, spoke about the oriental motif of the poems in the above-mentioned book. They noted that from this point of view the edition would be of special interest to Azerbaijani readers.

Answering numerous questions of the participants, the poetess expressed her ideas and suggestions on expanding Azerbaijani-Venezuelan literary relations and promoting Azerbaijani poetry in Venezuela.

At the end of the event, Firuza Mammadova, a singer, sang the famous Venezuelan song “The Spirit of the Plain.”

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