The Mirza Fatali Akhundov National Library of Azerbaijan hosted the Translation Centre under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Azerbaijan Republic’s (AzTC) presentation of the Azerbaijani translation of the book “Selected Works” by Miguel Delibes, a popular Spanish writer, on Wednesday, November 23. 

The event was attended by Spanish Charge d'affaires to Azerbaijan Jose Luis Diez Juarez, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Argentine to the Republic of Azerbaijan Carlos Dante Riva, Consul of the Embassy of the Republic of Colombia to Azerbaijan Kelly Chaib de Mares, representatives from the Mexican, Brazilian and French embassies, as well as workers of science and culture, and educationalists.

In her opening remarks, AzTC Director Afag Masud spoke about the book, underlining that it was the first book of Miguel Delibes, the last of the Spanish literature mohicans, translated and published in Azerbaijan. “Today’s presentation organized in honour of Delibes is a book holiday, a literary holiday,” she said. “By initiating such events, we aim to bring books and literary back into the public eye.”   

The Spanish Charge d'affaires to Azerbaijan, in turn, focused on the author’s role in Spanish literature, his literary biography, and his works having aesthetic merit.

Jose Luis Diez Juarez also expressed pleasure with the deep interest in Spanish literature across Azerbaijan.  

Ambassador of Argentine Carlos Dante Riva pointed to the role of cultures in bringing nations together. According to him, the book is another milestone AzTC has gained.

Other speakers - Saday Budagly who translated the book into Azerbaijani, Secretary of the Azerbaijani Writers Union Rashad Majid, Head of the Spanish Language Chair at the Azerbaijan University of Languages Aynur Quliyeva, and Director of the National Library Kerim Tahirli - spoke about the importance of the edition in building intercultural ties.

Miguel Delibes is the author of "The Cypress Casts a Long Shadow" (1947), "The Road" (1950), "The Heretic" (1953), "The Red Leaf"  (1959), "Five Hours with Mario" (1966), and others. He won the Spanish-speaking world's top literary award, the Cervantes Prize, in 1993.

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