BOOKS FROM GEORGIA 2016

Prepared and published by the Georgian National Book Center. The catalogue is distributed free of charge during the international Book Fairs to foreign publishers and editors. In case if you would like to receive PDF version of the catalogue, please contact: [email protected]

Project Director Medea Metreveli

Editors Irine Chogoshvili, Maia Danelia, Shota Iatashvili

Contributors GNBC Supervisory Board

Translator Patrick Donald Rayfield

Design Manana Arabuli / zango studio

Photos G. Tsibakhashvili (p.4), Artarea (p.16), Sh. Khutsishvili (p. 3, 18), D. Skiba (p.31), D. Soselia (p.32), Kikala Studio (p.34)

Georgian National Book Center Established in 2014 by the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia supports the process of translation of Georgian and foreign literature, enhancing intercultural dialogue through literature and presenting centuries-long Georgian intellectual heritage to the international literary and publishing arena.

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For further information please contact: Maia Danelia / [email protected] Irine Chogoshvili / [email protected]

INTERNATIONAL CHARITY FOUNDATION CARTU საერთაშორისო საქველმოქმედო ფონდი ქართუ 3 BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 -

Number of pages: 192 192 pages: of Number 1998, 2004 / Sulakauri in: Published Publishing House Rights: Sulakauri Publishing House Tsikhelashvili Mikheil Contact: [email protected] the beginning or proceed in a straight a straight in proceed or beginning the Umberto applies he end: the to line reader. emancipated the of theory Eco’s literary numerous won has Morchiladze Georgia. in prizes Born in 1966 in Tbilisi, Aka Aka Tbilisi, in 1966 Born in most the is arguably Morchiladze tal recognised widely and outstanding Georgian contemporary of writer ented later and studied He fiction. literary taught Georgian History Tbilisi at State as a sports worked has he University; newspaper daily a sports on journalist famous the in part 2000 took in and Europe. around Express Literature Since 1998, the Sulakauri Publishing Morchiladze’s Aka published has House of books three and novels twenty an was he 2005-2006 In stories. short most the of one of presenter and author on date to TV programmes interesting have plays and films Several literature. Milorad Like works. his on based been Morchiladze writer, favourite his Pavić, at start not needs a novel that believes / ------/

Radio Liberty Radio www.sulakauri.ge aka morCilaZis namdvili saxeli da gvaria giorgi axvlediani. daibada TbilisSi 1966 wels. Tbilisis saxelmwifo universitetSi aswavlida saqarTvelos istorias, muSaobda Jurnalistad ramdenime gazeTSi. gamocemuli aqvs 20-ze meti wigni. miRebuli aqvs araerTi literaturuli premia, maT Soris 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008 wlebSi premia `saba~ wlis saukeTeso romanisTvis. 2010 wels miiRo ilias universitetis literaturuli premia romanisTvis `mamluqi~. `gadafrena madaTovze da ukan~ trilogiis pirveli wignia. deteqtiuri siuJeti XIX saukunis TbilisSi viTardeba. madaTovis kunZulze napovnia xafo mxatvris gvami, romlis mkvlelobis gamoZiebasac mravali dafaruli saqmis kvalamde mivyavarT... gamogonilis garda romanSi istoriul da literaturul personaJebsac SexvdebiT. Zveli Tbilisis kolorituli suraTebis gverdiT uxvadaa parodia, iumori da ironia, rac romans gansakuTrebul xibls aniWebs da mkiTxvelis sayvarel wignad aqcevs. Tweed’s Magazine of literature & art literature of Magazine Tweed’s / D. Turashvili, writer / writer Turashvili, / D. Rights on Morchiladze’s novels have been have novels Morchiladze’s on Rights was a literary sensation in Georgia. in Critics a literary sensation was / T. I. Burton / I. Burton / T.

AKA MORCHILADZE AKA MORCHILADZE Flight to Madatov Island and Back and Island Madatov to Flight Georgian novelist but as a world-class novelist in his own right.’ own in his novelist a world-class as but novelist Georgian native land. Aka Morchiladze has done something very something strange done has Aka Morchiladze land. native make to is us for done has he what in this book. Basically, in some time, the same at and island, an the story of Madatov people.’ our country and our the story is of it way, strange a of example an as deserves merely be not to read ‘Morchiladze ‘Madatov itself, in its literal and metaphorical sense, was an sense, was metaphorical and literal in its itself, ‘Madatov one’s than more something was time it the same at but island, tob Khan, 2015, 2017); Albania (Shkupi Publishing, 2015); USA (Dalkey Publishing, (Shkupi 2015, 2017); Albania Khan, tob (Alatoran, (2244, 2013); Azerbaijan 2014, 2012); Sweden Press, Archive 2006). (Pendo, 2013); Switzerland sold in several countries among them: Germany (Weidle Verlag, 2017; Mit Verlag, (Weidle them: Germany among sold several in countries 2016); Serbia (Dereta, Editore, (Del Vechio 2017); Italy Verlag, teldeutscher (Arka Bulgaria 2015); lade Cultura, Tlaxcalteca (Instituto Mexico 2016); Books Dooel, (Antolog 2015); Egypt (Al Ko 2015); Macedonia Publishing, Aka Morchiladze in translation / in translation Aka Morchiladze an utterly unique narrative. unique utterly an In parallel with the detective story (and the work is only partly a detective only is the work story the parallel detective with (and In are community multi-lingual Tbilisi’s social various layers, genre), by novel characteristic Morchiladze’s with way, authentic and in a vivid portrayed becomes thus work The sarcasm. and laced humour with irony, moderate boy into his own family and learnt sign language so as to make minimal com make so to as sign language learnt and family own his into boy of Khapo’s on details shed is light some to the boy, Thanks possible. munication be still identified. can not the murderer but life, of way scandalous men there, who are obviously not pleased to see him. Bewildered, Hamsun goes pleased see to Bewildered, not him. Hamsun obviously who are there, men a homosexual, Khapo, again. island the mysterious visit decides to but back, in the a lieutenant meetings. Qorghanov, covert for Madatov used to visit often taken Khapo’s has murderer, Khapo’s for been who has searching gendarmerie, live not far from the factory. Hamsun cannot understand why there is a stench a stench is there why understand cannot Hamsun the factory. from far not live a vine country, in a wine-producing how, or the city, of the centre from coming island ofthe owner former The dump. to a next rubbish right flourish can yard meets two and the island visits Hamsun name. its hence a Generalwas Madatov, Hamsun is staying. Every day Hamsun keeps watch from his window on the on window his from watch keeps Hamsun Every day staying. is Hamsun rub all city’s the where dump, a factoryalsohas a and island rubbish The island. farmers The vineyards. with covered is the island half of the other tipped; is bish the boy is his servant. Khapo is a well-known craftsman: he works in Tbilisi’s Tbilisi’s in works he craftsman: well-known a servant. is his is Khapo theboy however, day, One him. knows Everyone houses. hillsidedistricts, aristocrats’ in which lies in the mid Madatov, of island the mysterious on corpse found his is Knut the writer where London, the Hotel opposite Mtkvari, the River dle of part, while the rest of the city belongs to craftsmen. The novel’s protagonist, protagonist, novel’s The craftsmen. to belongs the city part, of while the rest boy, dumb and a deaf with the river by in a tower lives called artist an Khapo, that nasty rumours are ownthere though even son, as his passes he off whom Georgian bank and father of the nation. the nation. of father bank and Georgian Back and Island Madatov to Flight and the decade. 19th century multi-ethnic of novel important called the most it one dominate parts: two aristocrats been has divided into Tbilisi multi-cultural blended with fiction. For example, Knut Hamsun, who wrote about Tbilisi, Tbilisi, about wrote who Hamsun, Knut example, For fiction. with blended the fictional among appears the 19th century, of the end in at lived he where the first of founder writer, thefamous does as Ilia Chavchavadze, characters, All three Madatov novels are full of allusions to world literature; history is history is literature; world to full allusions of are novels All Madatov three BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 4 This tragic This story,which to morethan one literary work devotedbeen has Sovietfamilies. The governmentsentenced hijackers the surviving to death. Sovietthe to flee SomeUnion. them of werethe offsprings of well-known gians hijacked an Aeroflotpassenger aircraft. Thehijackers had intended ‘The AeroplaneBoys’ is abouteventsthe seven when youngof 1983, Geor to like surface the atorpedo. rises reality periodically Swim Calm A injustices of world. the rights were most the important values and to change decided which the Generation X.It was ageneration for freedom personal which and human ran its course. The generation called is borntheperiod 1960s in to 1980s monologuefrank about himself and complex the his inwhich life epoch A reader of novel the most by be enthralled author’s will the extremely universe,the are present other inthe dimension. biographical occupies part material the forces, space, evil plotting against material and metaphysical dimensions. Although, novel’s the historical and Rumi.and poet takes The legendary twoseparate action in place – spaces years, other the is an while incarnation Sufi of mediaeval the philosopher sons is Irakli Charkviani, chose pseudonym the who of ‘king’ the inhis last ment is constructive, other the We destructive. know that one of per these togetherthem and represent they one human being’s two natures. One ele lives of ‘king’ the and of Rumi evolve inparallel, fates their to shackle seem fatesthe of two persons these is intertwined and, eventually, merged. The one character, and evenchapters the –that of another character, but where rakami’s In world modern literature, buttonthe that blow will it up. passengerthe in cabin experiences final of an aeroplanebefore he presses age of 43,on other the hand, it of is story the aterrorist from Kabul, Rumi’s king’ of real –the story how aGeorgian rock star ‘king’ was the born at the Irakli Charkviani’s autobiographical novel is, on one hand, ‘the of story a Sample translation available in English. in: UK(Arc Publications, 2016);Germany (Pop Verlag, 2015). intranslation Charkviani / Irakli imply from escape that enchanted circle, and Soviet space. post-Soviet Irakli Charkviani’s chief metaphors – line of book. the in every haps fate the and tragedy the of Generation X,something that sensed can be consciousness. I closer get to ‘The the I myself, closer get to death,’per is recently, has probably markthe deepest left Charkviani’son Irakli life and shown his ability for fantastic.’ the shamed and, I’d say, afearless exposition by awriter has who ‘Irakli Charkviani’s novel Kafka on the BeachKafka the on is anovel written on principle the of flow of consciousness: IRAKLI CHARKVIANI / L.Berdzenishvili, programme books writer /Radio / A Calm Swim A Calm A Calm Swim Calm A in which the odd chapters odd the inwhich give of us story the A Calm Swim Calm A Charkviani’s have poems published been A Calm Swim Calm A can be compared can be to Haruki Mu is agenerous, una and and The Paper Ship - – - - - - - on Georgian alternative music in the proved to have asignificant influence tive rock, electronic music and hip-hop, image and poetry, mixed with alterna tionary event in Georgia. His eccentric thus becoming abrand-new, revolu and clichés and common the norms all named Poets’ ‘The Order’, confronting of an union art ‘Reactive Club’, later poetry. He became one of the founders with utterly new ideas in music and capturedperformer Georgian audiences of 90swith his music, when the young University. Fame came at the beginning and American Literature of Tbilisi State the Department of Western European ‘Mepe’ King’). (‘The He graduated from musician, later known by his pen name a Georgian poet, prose writer and Irakli Charkviani (1961-2006)was contemporary Georgian culture. of development the to contribution 2013 (posthumously) for asignificant He also received Shota Rustaveli Prize ‘Our Book’ 2014(Georgian version). of literary BBC marathon’s competition ing daily. ACalm Swim became winner interest in his literary legacy increas is dead 2006.After the musician’s death, 1990s. Irakli Charkviani was found [email protected] [email protected] Contact: Gvantsa Jobava Rights: Ketato Popiashvili Published in: 2014/Intelekti Publishers Number of pages: 200 - - - 5 BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 Number of pages: 150 pages: of Number House Publishing 2014 / Sulakauri in: Published Rights: Sulakauri Publishing House Tsikhelashvili Mikheil Contact: [email protected] famed The Blue Mountains. He won won He Mountains. Blue The famed which of one awards, and prizes several Kremlin. the to returned writer the Rezo Cheishvili (1933-2015), the late late the (1933-2015), Cheishvili Rezo was screenwriter, writer and Georgian moved He Kutaisi. in up grew and born his continue to Georgia of capital the to from graduated 1958 in and studies, a degree with University State Tbilisi literature. and language Georgian in 1961 to from worked Cheishvili Rezo an as studio Film’ ‘Georgian the 1992 at Script Film the of member and editor of as a member Board, Administrative of as one and Association Creative the edited he time, same the At leaders. its and journals literary Georgian various he continued newspapers. Additionally, to publish shortstories and novels, and several Among scripts. film write to length full and short popular extremely work Cheishvili’s Rezo on based films widely the and Nodari Friend are My

, ------/ to - . Arili - series, which pub / G. Asatiani, literary / critic / G. Asatiani, The BlueMountains Cinema Library The Blue Mountains, or Tian Shan Tian or Mountains, Blue The is relevant even today.’ today.’ even relevant is Cheishvili’s short stories have been pub have stories short Cheishvili’s The Blue Mountains, or An Unbelievable Story Unbelievable An or Mountains, Blue The The Blue Mountains, or An Unbelievable Story Unbelievable An or Mountains, Blue The Blue Mountains Mountains Blue REZO CHEISHVILI REZO / M. Ldokonen, literary critic, writer / literary magazine / literary magazine literary writer critic, / M. Ldokonen, The BlueMountains shakable, which, given the laughable aspects of this reality, of aspects this reality, of the laughable which, given shakable, comes misunderstandings, regrettable certain false situations, situation.’ absurd an of manifestation a precise as across danger of suffering a collapse still hangs over us, we cannot we cannot us, over still hangs a collapse suffering of danger our illu to or and bones flesh the defects in our to no say sions. to a very is quality typical deep commitment Cheishvili’s ‘Rezo un stubborn, is this commitment that say the truth. I would ‘The unbearable irony of our life prevents us from being us from prevents our life of ‘The irony unbearable raised in problems to the indifferent empty in the characters’ again yet recognise ourselves We the the fact that behaviour; despite chaotic or conversations German. in available translation Sample Rezo Cheishvili in translation / Rezo Cheishvili in translation 2013); Germany (Tranan, them: Sweden among in severallished countries 1983). Pisatel, (Sovetski 2000); Russia (Suhrkamp, this system ends up with the destruction, in the literal sense, of the institu sense, of the destruction, with thein literal up ends thissystem destruction approaching in the sense, culminates the in figurative and tion, the Soviet system. of anything except work. The only person who reads manuscripts is a painter is a painter readsmanuscripts only who person The work. except anything withinthe work, thein office People repairs)… doing who is workman (a of the futility personal interests; their narrow of the framework of bounds ning about, from conference to bank, from bank to meeting, from meeting meeting meeting, from bank to bank, from to conference from about, ning French, learning are the editors of some end; without so on and banquet, to on are some leave, on are some lunch, having sewing, are some are some they do that is get we the impression chess: playing are others trips, business the director for evaluation. Autumn passes while he waits for his manu his for passes while waits he Autumn evaluation. for thedirector nobody has only Not pass... spring and then winter be to examined, script Everyone trace. without disappears it of every copy work, his existing read run is always director the affairs: their own with busy is in this institution ations in Soviet times could be found in any institution. In a word, in what is is in what a word, In institution. in any be in Soviet times could found ations from returns work ofthe hero chief the Soso, office, editorial an supposedly work or writings his brings and leave The work tells us about the story of the young author Soso (in the novel the Sosonovel author (in the young of story the the about us tells work The organi The scientist). young be a specified,may he not is profession hero’s or a scientific office editorial an either is the action takes place where zation situ similar undefined, left because is deliberately This institution. research the Cannes festival in 2014 in festival theCannes classic filmsection. deservedlyThe 8.9) was (IMDB in the world accepted an comedy. allegorical filmis ‘got through’ the merciless Soviet censorship (apparently the Soviet censors the Soviet censors (apparently Soviet censorship themerciless through’ ‘got a film script, turned into was novel idea). The main the work’s grasp couldn’t the 1981 film the for basis At Eldar Shengelaia). by (directed be to shot allowed somehow which was lished works which have resulted in world-acclaimed films. An unequivo films. in world-acclaimed resulted which have works lished the time of the bureaucracy of a mirror which was work cally anti-Soviet miraculously Soviet officials, of the life humor, subtle with us, showed and Rezo Cheishvili’s novel came out in the out came novel Rezo Cheishvili’s BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 6 sidents psychiatric Soviet locked inthe institutions... appear: doctors, embassy employees, state officers, security lunatics and dis coursethe of Tamaz Chiladze’s surprising novel different very characters should givingasks Levan psychiatric whether be advice, or receiving it. In emotional intelligence. The story’sgreatest tension comesthewhen author is psychiatrist the triangle this himself, aman of sharp intellect but lacking cow psychiatric ward. Ana-Maria is lonely and depressed. At apex the of about isolation. Nunu’s and is tragic story personal absurd, ending inaMos book is This about relationships, madness, and frailty,mental but aboveall, shebelieves treatment. needs ted suicide, and Ana-Maria, wife the of a foreign ambassador, family whose physicist Nunu, Levan’s middle-aged patient, husband whose has commit and two women, enter who his life after hiswife’s departure – an astro The the dramaticplot on also focuses relationshipthe between protagonist lost inaworld of fantasy, doubt, and desperate attempts to regain his life. many Like true. be behindthe in left break-up of a marriage,becomes he tempts at humor, indignation, and accusations of infidelity,which appear to to maintain his dignity, but mixed is with this soon defensiveness, at poor patient rather than husband and wife.’ As she prepares to leave, hard he tries more than ‘fact or reality of born habit,’ she tells him:‘We were doctor and life better to away seems be from that him.Realising her marriage is little wife,whose as novel the opens, is leaving him for a better life: any kind of advancements. Its main character is apsychotherapist, hitherto successful, ticularly acutely felt world modern inthe of unprecedented technological and fiction. science The novelabout is an individual’s solitude, which is par senting work that blends genres the realism, ofmagical post-modernism, The Bruegel Moon Full translation available in English. bania (Fan Noli, Archive 2016);USA(Dalkey Press, 2014). and Lithuanian. Rights have countries to sold several among been Al them: Serbian, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Polish, Turkish, Armenian, Estonian, Latvian many languages: French, English, Ukrainian, Spanish, Italian, Czech, Slovak, Tamaz in translation / Chiladze powerful as heart.’powerful the The result is a work as complexthe as human psyche and as tive listener’ inorder to move from an old life to one. anew of illusion the of love, and how ‘one an needs attentive, sensi loneliness’ that waits ‘at home, lurking inambush,’ pain the weaves together anumber of themes, including ‘unbearable are surprising, what’s greater is way the beautifully Chiladze ‘And connections the three the characters while between is one of Tamaz is Chiladze’s most acclaimed novels, pre The Bruegel Moon TAMAZ CHILADZE Chiladze’s have books translated been into / L.Farmer, reviewer / book TheGazette - / ------tion of Western Germany awarded him 1996 the radio broadcasting corpora and often by celebrated producers. In tres, both across Georgia and abroad, have been successfully staged at thea of the magazine Mnatobi. His plays the years 1997-2008he was chief editor Theatre and Cinema Institute. During Georgia’s at dramaturgy in lectures From 1991on, he gave acourse of then widely popular magazine Tsiskari. Tamaz Chiladze started working for Literature. Soon after graduating considered to be classics of Georgian Today his short fiction and novels are he published his first volume of poetry. University, where he studied philology, graduating in 1954from Tbilisi State gian writer, playwright and poet. After inBorn 1931,Tamaz Chiladze Geor is national Centre of Biographies. of 1999-2000by the Cambridge Inter the title of the International Personality Paradise. In 1999he was nominated for first for prize the play The Quartet of [email protected] Contact: Gvantsa Jobava Rights: Intelekti Publishers Published in: 2008/Pegas Publishing House Number of pages: 156 - - - - 7 BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 nava after finishing school, was was school, finishing after ­nava Number of pages: 111 pages: of Number Publishers 2006 / Diogene in: Published Publishers Intelekti Rights: Jobava Gvantsa Contact: [email protected] the colorful street he once lived in), the the in), lived once he street colorful the that works, his of all of inspiration main sincere and authentic his with resound voice. literary Born in 1967 in Sukhumi, Gela Gela Sukhumi, 1967 in Born in Chkva to assigned and army the into recruited (now Leningrad in unit anti-missile an service military After Petersburg). St. Sukhumi to returned Chkvanava Gela Sukhumi at philology studied and Thearmed conflictUniversity. broke a still was he when Abkhazia in out the before wrote he Everything student. and Sukhumi in abandoned was war burnt was house his when destroyed the from himself distract To down. creative in experience gain to and war, stories several on work began he writing, titled book Debut His peacetime. in set Local Colours won the author Literary author refugee 2005. This SABA Award words: sacred two has he that claims being latter (the Dzidzaria and Sukhumi ------/ Radio Liberty Radio Chkvanava’s short stories have been trans have stories short Chkvanava’s The Toreadors Toreadors The / M. Kharbedia, writer, literary / critic / M. Kharbedia, writer, GELA CHKVANAVA tells the story of two friends who help and support one an one support and friends two who the story help of tells ‘One thing that never fails this writer is his imagination. Gela imagination. his is this writer fails never that thing ‘One narrative. up his or take off time break any at can Chkvanava plotting...’ for and invention for a gift has He Gela Chkvanava in translation / Gela Chkvanava in translation Russian. German and English, into lated wished to show the reader the horror of war in general. in war of the horror the reader show to wished treme conditions. In this work, the nationality of the enemy is not defined. defined. not is the enemy of the nationality this work, In conditions. treme but Abkhazia 1992-3, describedrecall armed in do The events conflict the author thethe because actual period specified in probably not is the book, the search for food, shelter and, not least, inner peace and quiet, even if only even if only peace quiet, inner least, and not and, food, shelter for the search survive to and the urge friendship, are Equally important minutes. few a for human preservingis one’s matters becausewhat others, help to readiness a ex under even human call to oneself be to able pride, and personality ity, Gela Chkvanava has first-hand experience of local conflicts. He describesof local experience conflicts. first-hand has Gela Chkvanava very and in a gripping atmosphere the oppressive and a wartime situation atmosphere The this writer. for concept abstract an not is War way. precise on focus life: everyday is The described mood are succinctly. people’s and control his body and mind at crucial the very times, and at mind body satisfaction his real and control costs if it even done, when well a job is feels he – that – indeed, euphoria life. him his friend: then he sees a grenade lying nearby... This novel is essentially about about is essentially novel This friend: nearby... sees lying then he a grenade poor from ranges matter subject its and eyes, seen a soldiers’ war through emo and feelings soldier’s a of examination introspective an to leadership a soldier tries to the way elation: and fear as such tackles issues It tions. instead, come across a small armed group and have to fight a battle. Al a battle. fight to have and smalla group armed across come instead, After death. Koba’s is the price win the battle, to thethough friends manage his avenge to the desire is on moving Dato keeps what thing the only that survivors in a company that has been routed. The friends try hard to cross The friends to cross try been has hard routed. that in a company survivors reach the and enemy the avoid to Theyhope territoryoccupied unnoticed. the town, to On their way friendly join forces. to in order peacefully, town but their comrades desertedthrough pass villages, for looking protagonists other and who are trying to survive the war. The book portrays the ‘face’ ‘face’ The bookthe portrays trying who are survive to and the war. other while compassion for capacity a maintaining of the difficulty and war of the sole are and Dato, Koba and friends, Two soldiers survival. for fighting The Toreadors The Full translation available in English. in available translation Full BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 8 gather. It is hard to find anyonewho has read Kanudos,called and it was always favourite the place for young people to thatfact first the night club was inTbilisi opened Soviet period theduring The novel’spopularity Dochanashvili’s in homeland is well attested the by failing to find anythingbetter that his village, own built on a mountainpeak. traveler the this back after goes to village his high wanderingthe world and others, and is free. everyone ThisDomenico’s is second homeland.Despite of Kanudos for any person, aplace where is is equal, for everyone everyone the and of tillers have soil the founded. Five rebels have created dreamlike this traveler, passing through hell, comes to Kanudos, city afree shepherds which in Kamora, and reader, the together with him, is ‘tormented’ by curiosity. The Alexandro’srecognise brother decent person whom he comes inevery across reveals nothing to Domenico about identity of his brother. to Domenico tries thanks to his brother that traveler the from escape will Kamora alive although whom considered everyone mad. to be Alexandro promise does that be it will lows himfrom city the of beauty. Thatwhere is he got knowto Alexandro, to indifference treachery.and The ‘contact’ that Domeniconeeds most fol andand Domenico evil is atoy for nonentities. He that sees there is no limit that some bandit his take life. will In on Kamora isviolence based everything tion, heads for anest of inhabited evil, by bandits, city the of Kamora, hoping Domenico’s traveler, next –the journey to adesire inthrall for self-destruc with, but Ana-Maria diespregnant afterviolent a attack, thatand determines city of beauty he gets to know Ana-Maria, whom desperately he falls love in games and pastimes. Everything there love, is false: and friendship. In the knowledge. His first adventurethe city be in is to beauty,of where lifepassed ‘Odyssey’ aprolonged begins, hazardous and very path inlife towards self- love, and freedom evil goodness, are. Domenico is not yet 18years his old. So ally, as he contacts many differentpeople, he understandswhat friendship, not he leavesdoes know: his parents’ home and his to fate. goes seek Gradu cret contained of tale arefugee: inthe it is about rest the of world, the he which A young man Domenico, a seeker of adventure, much is very affected se by a Sample translations available in English and German. many (Suhrkamp, 2000;Volk und Welt, 1984). Press, 2012,2014);Mexico (Instituto Tlaxcalteca Cultura, dela 2015);Ger publishedbeen inmany countries among Archive USA(Dalkey them: intranslationGuram Dochanashvili / shared ashared experience, wandering, ashared learning. plot:the as awhole, work the arouses an amazing desire reader inthe for a novel, and vivid, the memorable characters and interesting development of The reason probablytheso simplywisdom is but brilliantly offered the in Robe death, something completely unique was created – ofin an epoch terror. In 1970s,inyears the of stagnation and itbook is, and imagine that it was created period, Soviet inthe ‘How much warmth and light there what isbook, inthis afree distant inthe sense the 1970s,definesry of human existence.’ about his pains. Guram Dochanashvili, with Cervantes’ allego person has appeared able has who been to joke like Cervantes ‘It is lucky for Georgian literature that after sucha alongtime was undoubtedly agenuine masterpiece.’ GURAM DOCHANASHVILI / L.Berdzenishvili, writer, The First Robe Dochanashvili’s short stories have

critic / Z. Chkheidze, writer,/ Z.Chkheidze, critic / The First Robe First The

/ Books for Hot for Chocolate Books The First First The only once. / ------modern Georgian classic. In 2016,the his novel The First Robe has become a most popular writers in Georgia and Guram Dochanashvili one is of the at the Georgian Film studio. Today, Since 1985he has been the main editor section of the Academy of Sciences. Mnatobijournal prose the and headed head of the prose department of the andogy Ethnography Institute. He was History at the I.Javakhishvili Archaeol in the Archaeological Department of to 1975,Guram Dochanashvili worked in the university orchestra. From 1962 archaeological excavations and played 1970s. He was an active participant in works have been popular since the literary whose profession, by historian nashvili is aGeorgian prose writer, a inBorn Tbilisi in 1939,Guram Docha graphic and arts drama. involved elements of operatic, ballet, the Georgian State Opera Theatre: it Dochanashvili’s novel that of name in a project The First Robe, based on composer Marjanishvili Zaza staged [email protected] Contact: Temur Mosidze Rights: Guram Dochanashvili Published in: 2011/Meridiani Publishing Number of pages: 664 - - 9 BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 - - Number of pages: 222 pages: of Number House Publishing 2015 / Sulakauri in: Published Verlag Suhrkamp/Insel rights: International Raabe Contact: Katharina [email protected] Born in 1978 in Tbilisi, Nana Ekvtim Nana Tbilisi, in 1978 Born in a of director and author is an ishvili 2013 her In scripts. film of number Bright Long film feature Georgian many in screened was Bloom In Days/ 30 than more won has it and countries various film festivals. world at awards 1999 in published were stories first Her Ekvtimish Nana Arili. magazine the in Meadow Pear-Tree The novel first vili’s LITERA Ministry won prize 2016 by Protection Monument and Culture of House Writer’s the and Georgia of and Debut Best The for Georgia of Novel. Best The prize 2016 for ILIAUNI been has also Meadow Pear-Tree The SABA Award Literary for shortlisted Debut. Best The category the 2016 in - - - - One / G. Lomidze, literary / critic / G. Lomidze,

NANA EKVTIMISHVILI NANA EKVTIMISHVILI The Pear-Tree Meadow Meadow Pear-Tree The is just a dream, the fate of only a few chosen, daring inhabit daring chosen, a few only of the fate a dream, just is novel Kesey’s in Ken as just school, the boarding of ants Nest.’ Flew Cuckoo’s the over ‘The boarding school in Ekvtimishvili’s novel is our society:is novel ‘The in Ekvtimishvili’s school boarding and executioners stereotypes, or fulla space prohibitions of paedo our Vano with together allvictims, in which we live, a society which escape and Irakli; from infantile our or phile Full translation available in German. in available translation Full all had such an effect on her that when she was a teenager, together with her with together teenager, a was she when her on that effect an all such had a The factit. that about a film make to friends, a few intended she and sister force. more it gives these experiences, clearly, about been has written novel tention. Now I am amazed, and I don’t know what to think, I simply knew think, to I simply what know I don’t and amazed, I am Now tention. and violence, general of this background accepted all somehow this, people It interview. an in said has the author tragedy,’ great seem be to any didn’t it next to you such things were happening. Nobody ever believed anything ever believed anything Nobody happening. were things such you to next happened had that like anything if they that said and said, these children the next-door cherries from if they stolen had or rape, or them, violence to at any nobody and paid at the time, difference great no made that garden, Ekvtimishvili grew up next to a boarding school, and was in close contact in close contact was and school, a boarding to next grew up Ekvtimishvili about her them, they with told played she there; lived that the children with I then how amazed am ‘I school: in the boarding happened that anything when violations, with co-exist could one how them, or to calmly listened also a rape victim, but she is raped not by a fellow boarder, but by a teacher, teacher, a by but boarder, fellow a by not raped is she victim, alsorape a but killing him. All a thinks this part is she of about the all novel through and Nana childhood.her to in author subjected the fate which reality, horrific A pear-tree meadow represents them, a meadow of sin with its sinful trees, its sin with of them, a meadow represents meadow A pear-tree the looks from beautiful another: the meadow one rape the boarders where in caught get slowly feet your there, set foot you the moment but outside, Lela is tasteless. watery and are ripenthere the that pears and a quagmire, teachers, people living in nearby apartments... This crowd of characters is characters of crowd This apartments... in nearby living people teachers, re the boarders of the life describing as well As tempo. a giddy at developed them all. for symbolic tries find something to Ekvtimishvili Nana alistically, for food and shelter. Although, they are separated from the community by a by the community from separated they are Although, shelter. food and for the community. of members ever-present and still integral they are barrier, is Lela, centre the who is eighteen-year-old the heroine main novel’s The and pupils school boarding former or – present all characters the other for by their parents. She also speaks about the fate of children who have no no who have children of also the fate speaks She about their parents. by implementation and development the encouragement, lack and guardians, beg and the street meeton to who continue and rights, their needs and of Nana Ekvtimishvili focuses on the subject of disabled children abandoned abandoned children disabled of focuses the subject on Ekvtimishvili Nana BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 10 it is portrayed is one of novel’s the chief merits. artistic Everything is inthe A light perception of existence, grim reality, grim and light the way inwhich wards prisoners the is something that novel the makes clear. sequences of that culture are visible. This dual attitude populationthe of to appreciate and them understand that people have these culture and con the down look they on Germans, the for they afterare all sometimesPoWs, they of think ‘Who them? locals do the is in captivity Sometimes or – them us?’ isthis something elaborated inanovel what and way: is what mood their smile. One of themes the is that of prisoners German of war inKutaisi, and adze is capable of supplying. It arouses not much so sympathy as amelancholy you; it is portrayed with black humour and with details that only Gabri Rezo is acity where suffer weak the violence, butthisviolent force doesn’t suffocate with almost entirely unmotivated kindness. Kutaisi it Gabriadze as Rezo sees background, social cruel, tense the relationships grim very people, between situations. In after describing period the World Warthe II, author seasonsthe work, knows that plot for Gabriadze is secondary him – Rezo is an artist of fragments. these Anyoneis no between essential link knows who Gabriadze’s Instead of action, here aunified the action is split up,fragmentary, thereand a Cityis showseven then not slightest the aggression. As for novel’s the title, were normal, with only why them inhis feverish he struggles illusions and young Varlam puts up with injustice, mockery, violence and cruelty as ifthey himselffrees from it. If we at look it way, inthis we may understand why the brings to them life against his own as heaccounts will, settles with past, the or el) is brought to life by impressions and dreams of but childhood, writer the are his surname, first name and short biography. address:postal 12\A\89423\6793(i.e. The GULag). the few indicatorsother and ateacher of but German), that know all they about Varlam’s father is his came ten years old. Varlam’s mother was a violinist (as well as a seamstress boy, Varlam. book thetells The story of Varlam’s ‘child’s old age’,be when he The novel’s main characters areGerman a prisoner,OttoSchulz and asmall Sample translation available in German. Mexico countrieslished inseveral among USA them: intranslation Gabriadze Rezo / lightness of touch. view is oneview of artists world.’ inthe best the day. Iremember my Gabriadze, –Rezo inmy friends who ‘I love That Georgia. givenhas country me many a happy ing cigarettes, just Gabriadze’s like Rezo Kutaisi.’ wartime and human rescue and beings, stroll smok through Berlin, film taneously refined eccentricand humour of his prose, the or of,ed but also, for example, Woody with simul the Allen, characters, and scenarios performances that you are remind associations are aroused. Here it is not only Gabriadze’s Rezo ‘When reading

, that is ironical, nothing because is mentioned of life the of that city. (Instituto Tlaxcalteca Cultura, dela 2015). Sky over Berlin [Wings of Desire] Kutaisi aCity is REZO GABRIADZE Kutaisi is aCity / P. Javakhishvili, critic / literary Gabriadze’s short stories have pub been many hitherto unconscious

/ Tonino Guerra, screenwriter / (Dalkey Archive(Dalkey Press, 2013); , where angels befriend Kutaisi a City is Radio Liberty (short nov (short Kutaisi Kutaisi ------/ London, etc. As apainter, he has de la Ville, Paris, the Barbican Centre, Toronto World Stage Festival, Theatre Festival, San Sebastian Festival, Spain, Lincoln Centre Festival, the Edinburgh the world extensively including N.Y.’s tions. The theatre company has toured where he has staged numerous produc Gabriadze has also worked abroad, Marionette Theatre based in Tbilisi. founded and even now still heads the to tell his dramatic stories: in 1981he theatre asahitherto overlooked way the Soviet Union, turned to puppet by the lack of intellectual freedom in some point Rezo Gabriadze, frustrated He has written over 35screenplays. At rector, painter, puppeteer. and sculptor adze awriter, is screenwriter, stage di inBorn 1936in Kutaisi, Rezo Gabri of the French Republic. mander of the Order of Arts and Letters his many international awards Com works. Rezo Gabriadze counts among have been illustrated with his graphic and private collections. 50books Over and his works are kept in museums exhibitions numerous to contributed [email protected] Natia TsiklauriContact: Rights: Rezo Gabriadze Published in: 2002/Sani Publishers Number of pages: 100

- - - - 11 BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 - - - Some of his works are are works his of Some

Number of pages: 324 pages: of Number Publishers 2009 / Diogene in: Published Publishers Diogene Rights: Zaza Shengelia Contact: [email protected] TV history. Jandieri also has produced produced has also Jandieri TV history. prose His collections. story short two literary of a number won have works Georgia. in prizes Geor of textbooks school in included Literature. and Language gian Born in 1958 in Tbilisi, Kote Jandieri Jandieri Kote Tbilisi, in 1958 Born in short-story and script is a Georgian graduated 1980 Jandieri In writer. Depart University, State Tbilisi from Soon Geology. and Geography of ment after graduation thispromising young author published his first short stories as a screenwriter. career his started and written has Jandieri Kote then Since and documentary for scripts numerous popular won fiction have films which international and Georgian with ity Orpheus’s include they audiences: a Vineyard in Love Death (1996), (2011) Wine of Cradle (2000), The he which Dog, a TV Hot series and Shataidze. Nugzar with co-authored TV on Imedi broadcast was series The of one become has 2008-2009 and in Georgian in projects acclaimed most the / ------magazine / magazine Radio Liberty Liberty Radio Tabula / (Tranan, 2013); USA (Tranan,

is the story of a literarya the story is of by Kote Jandieri over three three over Jandieri Kote by the writer has achieved has the writer Blackberry (Suhrkamp, 2000). (Suhrkamp,

is a masterpiece of shorter shorter of a masterpiece is / M. Kharbedia, literary / critic Jandieri’s short stories have been published been published have stories short Jandieri’s Cinderella’s Night Cinderella’s It is a story about an ordinary man who wit man ordinary an a story is about It Globalisation KOTE JANDIERI KOTE is a story about degradation of human values. The The values. human of degradation a story about is is an epistolary novella. The members of a family of a family members The novella. epistolary an is Globalisation Globalisation. Globalisation. Cinderella’s Night / Globalisation Night Cinderella’s A Short Vacation Family Chronicle himself fully formed as a writer and the work deserves the be work to and a writer as fullyhimself formed readers to but reader, the Georgian to only not known come the world.’ all over Jandieri’s ‘Kote in this decade.’ prose Georgian ‘In the short‘In novel this things, will other write Kote Naturally, maturity. creative shows he here him, but of characteristic not is work latest 2015); Azerbaijan (ADK Publishing, 2015); Sweden Publishing, (ADK 2015); Azerbaijan 2012); Germany Press, (Dalkey Archive German. and English in available translations Sample Kote Jandieri in translation / in translation Jandieri Kote de la Cultura, Tlaxcalteca (Instituto them: Mexico among countries in many peasant-narrator tells his sad story with humour and in the characteristic in the characteristic and sad his story humour tells with peasant-narrator Wit Jehovah’s dialect. a who became sister of his storyregional The tragic similar endure to had those who of have stories many of one just is ness day. the present to up persecution, right in freedom appears too complicated and uncomfortable for many people. people. many for uncomfortable and too complicated appears in freedom the Soviet under repressed been which had Orthodox Christianity so much Kakhetian beliefs. The other any of also suddenly became intolerant Union, and then the armed conflicts in Abkhazia and Ossetia and the aftermath. aftermath. Ossetiaand the and Abkhazia in then conflicts the armed and and system new to the capitalist adapt to enough flexible are people Some peasant the entrepreneurial as such globalisation, of therequirements confused. Living and lost are many but shop, a coffee who opens woman the period of the Russian Revolution when Georgia was a part of the Rus parta when Georgiawas of Revolution theperiod the Russian of independ periodof short-lived Georgian the followed There Empire. sian the purges, Stalin’s civil war, 1921, the subsequent betweenence 1917 and the Soviet Union of the collapse Soviet communism, War, Second World of the events which befall his family acts as a mirror to the troubled history the troubled to which befall acts a mirror as family the events his of small ofthe The century inhabitants Georgia. twenty-first and twentieth of through They live country. village experience every the entire of turmoil Among his short stories we can in particular highlight a longer story, or or story, in particular can we a longer highlight stories short his Among short novel storynar is The whole history. Georgia’s throughout epochalnesses events story Kakhetia. The of the region from farmer peasant a disabled by rated another. another. all facing person the ordinary an skill, portraying great with story told is the Soviet army. of violence and roughness unknown author in the 20th century. The story describes the life of a Jewish story The describesof a life the in the 20th century. author unknown Christiana becomes Christ who eventually theJesus in epoch of living man saint. one to letters writing way: by in a strange each other with communicate decades offers readers a wide range of topics as well as the impressive rich as impressive well the as topics of a readers range wide decades offers language. authentic the author’s of ness an in expertby written Latin manuscript a discovers author The forgery. The collection of short stories stories short of collection The BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 12 Because people liveBecause by and pseudo-values listen pseudo-feelings, they to on absurd,being and for many people existence on carries absurd.being Author as it country the was calls ‘Absurdistan then Sovieticus’, and it went lovers have ‘sweated guts their out’ for such things, but have had no luck. forbidden, although finding recordingsgood easyis no matter now. Music- Intics. of Georgia Soviet 1980sand the movement 1990sthis was no longer autobiographical and devoted to music, or, to specific, to be rock poliand I’ve mentioned...’from This is Basa an extract Janikashvili’s novel,which is raphy. The prohibition extended to karate, too, as the well as concertsrock people with impression the that of all Transcaucasia was reared on pornog owner could conceal his calmly forbidden films. Idon’t want to leave young was deliberately cut), would go on working for minutes, several that so the Japanesespecial recorder video went electricity whenever which, the off (or of combatting things. Arumour spread these around town that there was a apartment. One more thing: there was a myth about operational methods button, would have of performance evidence an illegal citizen’s inaSoviet corder.policesecretthe Then would come in and,with just a click on a stop and any porn film or be leftwould illegal pernicious video the on re at entrance the to blocks of flats. It’seasy to understandthat video a would whathad videos, films citizens were watching, cutand theoff electricity meant far more than music to music-lovers. Soviet ‘The who knew KGB seminated by pirating, aphenomenon associated with freedom and which recorded illegally Georgia, Soviet from radiobroadcasts, imported, and dis isof rock book the music itself, but is this not western rock: it is rock in worried of because its boundless influence people.on The main character It was one of western the ‘sicknesses’, madewhich UnionSoviet the very centuryis rocktieth music: world civilised the has had it since 1960s. the One of most the thoroughly manifestations free of freedom twen inthe that word the ‘freedom’ is heard. tainment, life itself. Thishas country existed, and may exist still anywhere Sovieticus Absurdistan Sample translation available in German. Sovietico surdistan 2013); Germany (TheaterZeit,Reichert 2015; der Verlag, 2010); ( Italy countriesin several among Ukraine them: (Pr-Prime Company, 2016, JanikashviliBasa intranslation / with its interesting details. youth: we about learn development the of rock at same the as time life then, temporary Absurdistan through passes of times the Sovieticus author’s the pseudo-music and enjoy The apseudo-freedom. Soviet road to and con the very first to devote very the a novel entirelypopular to a subculture.’ Basa’s inparticular, withperiod this deals book and he is one of into torrent apowerful from end the of 1980sonwards. the culture, imbued which but our all childhood, Soviet turned people is hethis unified met. All by music, contemporary pop situations he inwhich personally found himself, and about the aboutto talk simple or funny, open or covert enthusiasms, years, simple, and to avery use has elementary language tried that has happened to himand over his country last the twenty ‘Basa Janikashvili has brought into almost everything his book , Palombi Editore, 2013). Absurdistan Sovieticus BASA JANIKASHVILI is a land where everything is absurd: is aland where everything music, enter / M. Kharbedia, writer,/ M.Kharbedia, critic / literary Janikashvili’s works have published been absurdistan-cover.indd 1 mxolod musika. sabWoTa melomanebisTvisgacilebiTmetiiyo,vidre TavisuflebasTan asocirebulimovlena,romelic aralegalurad Semotanili,`dapiskebiT~gavrcelebuli, saqarTveloSi –mekobruliradiotalRebiTdaWerili, ara dasavleTSi,aramedswored80-90-ianiwlebissabWoTa Eam wignismTavaripersonaJicsworedrokia.magramroki adamianebze misiuzomogavlenisgamo. iyo, romelsacsabWoTaabsurdistaniZalianufrTxoda iani wlebidangaiTavisa.eserT-erTidasavluri`seni~ gamovlineba –rok-musika,civilizebulmasamyarom60- XX saukuneSiTavisuflebiserT-erTiyvelazemZafri esmiT sityva–Tavisufleba. Dda axlacSeuZliaarsebobanebismieradgilas,sadacar musika, garToba,TviTcxovrebacki.Eesqveyanaarsebobda. absurdistani –esqveyanaa,sadacyvelaferiabsurdia: fasi www.sulakauri.ge 8. 00 lari Radio Liberty Ab

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absurdistani basa janikaSvili basa from the international playwright’s international the from for the author, bringing him an award Competition. 2014was also successful InternationalBBC Radio Playwriting and Caucasus Region category of the of the year. In 2009,he won the Russia SABA literary for prize the best play Russia. In 2006, he was awarded the also been staged in Great Britain and at theatres in Georgia. Some have that have been regularly performed then, he has written numerous plays plays AMosquito was published. Since and stories short of collection first his and Cinema (Drama Faculty). In 1998 from Tbilisi State University of Theatre sion and radio producers. He graduated Georgia’s of televi one successful most and writer prose playwright, famous inBorn Janikashvili 1974,Basa a is staged in Paris’s Arnold Theatre. Theatre. In 2016 the play was also performed in the Nuremberg State 2015 his winning play Angry Bird was competition Talk About Boundaries. In [email protected] Contact: Mikheil Tsikhelashvili House Publishing Sulakauri Rights: Published in: 2009/Sulakauri Publishing House Number of pages: 152 ratom iyorevoluciamdelibavSvigonebaClungi basa janikaSvili 29.11.2010 16:23:16 - 13 BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 - - Number of pages: 134 pages: of Number 2014 in: Published Karchkhadze Publishing House House Publishing Karchkhadze Rights: Karchkhadze Gia Contact: [email protected] worth noting that in his lifetime Jemal Jemal lifetime his in that noting worth or award no received Karchkhadze rediscovered was prize. Karchkhadze and generation, a new 2000s by the in rise. to continues popularity his today Born in the village of Ukhuti in western western in Ukhuti of village the Born in (1936- Karchkhadze Jemal Georgia, wrote who writer a Georgian 1998) was and stories short numerous novels, six 1960 with in graduated He essays. and language Georgian in a degree various held Karchkhadze literature. 1982, before 1961 and between posts employment regular up give to deciding writ to full-time himself devote so as to published first Karchkhadze’s Jemal ing. the by received very well were works criti harsh with met were but public, time. the of critics Soviet the from cism to continued author the this, of spite In 1977 one In regularly. publish and write Igi stories short acclaimed most his of appeared, followed by such significant and (1984), Antonio as Caravan novels is (1988). It Zebulon (1987) and David

- - - - - Anto Antonio and DavidAntonio / L. Bregadze, literary / critic / L. Bregadze, / M. Beriashvili, philosopher / / M. Beriashvili, philosopher is one of those rare cases where cases where those rare of one is is a most important work by Jemal Jemal by work important a most is Rights on Karchkhadze’s novel novel Karchkhadze’s on Rights Antonio and DavidAntonio Antonio and David David and Antonio JEMAL KARCHKHADZE JEMAL Antonio and DavidAntonio have been sold to: Norway (Solum Forlag, 2017); Egypt2017); (Al Forlag, (Solum been Norway soldto: have ‘Great writers are identified above all else by their phrasing. by their allelse above identified are writers ‘Great astonishing.’ is phrasing Karchkhadze’s Jemal a human that us shows Karchkhadze Jemal prose his ‘In truth inner based realise an to on the capacity being has freedom.’ concept: human the highest achieving Khotob Khan, 2015); Sweden (Ruin, 2013). (Ruin, 2015); Sweden Khan, Khotob German. and English in available translations Full Jemal Karchkhadze in translation / Karchkhadze in translation Jemal David and nio while at the same time it offers vast aesthetic and cognitive material for lit for material cognitive and aesthetic vast offers time it the same while at erary connoisseurs. time. of the test stand that texts those rare of one and Karchkhadze eign reader. The text of text The eign reader. com harmoniously are stream a powerful intellectual and narrative a tense very of the technique a writing and language faultless its to Thanks bined. in the story, interested reader any easily grasped is the text by level, highest were living with a strange fear. After a short while the reason became clear, clear, reason short whilebecame a the After fear. a strange with living were them the story. told the localand inhabitants an such and d’Aniti, byBartolomeo person in first the is written novel This the for to this book comprehensible Georgia makes view’ readily of ‘outside be a heavy burden on his conscience throughout his life. While in Colchis, in Colchis, While life. his throughout conscience his on be burden a heavy copper look for to the local visit to mountains had Antonio and Bartolomeo people they that housed noticed they the village where were In deposits. confrontation with the Church, on account of which he had been sentenced been had which he sentenced of account on the Church, with confrontation as pardoned was Antonio the stake. be at to burned Inquisition the Holy by of severalbut and friends, relatives influential of the intervention of a result to pardon his felt Antonio so that burned, were accomplices friendshis and tolomeo, the narrator of this story, together with a missionary delegation, delegation, missionary a with together this story, of the narrator tolomeo, friends makes trade Bartolomeo Colchis. with for the possibilities study to in once who was name, by Antonio in the delegation, a missionary with is shocking and makes many people think things that had never entered entered never had think people that things many makes and shocking is at the time story place This in a country known takes before. their minds Fleece;the Golden for country this invaded once Argonauts The Colchis. as Bar sent court royal the Italian that here was Georgia. It partis of it today after travelling around many countries, tells us a thousand stories, customs customs stories, us a tells thousand countries, many around travelling after experienced, personally were These peoples. events various of habits and of drama the amazing serious, but some funny, are some The book by the Italian traveler and merchant Bartolomeo d’Aniti, written written d’Aniti, Bartolomeo merchant and Italian traveler by the The book BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 14 is of born man’s fate. tragic themewhich Theflashes throughout wholethe relatively happy inmind… In aword, is this acomplete philosophy which always kept be alive, and consequently, compared with countryman, the is that atownsman doesn’t have apit tothereforeand fill that thinks will he This is howthe townsman theand countryman differ in nature, basisthe on This is echoan Georgianthe of fairytale man, doesn’t who have his own pit, is, inhis own words, ‘a corpse’. walking before I’ve this up filled pit.’Obviously, the pit this while remained unfilled, skythe from bottom the of pit the and said with pathos, ‘God, don’t me kill same latrine pit inhis own yard, and he when finished digging he looked at of toilet’. the Just before armed the conflict broke out, he had the dug very relatives joband, dothe ifone can say so, shares with his them ‘philosophy ging latrine, avillage no more or less. The hero is a who is refugee helping The plot of one story, ligious feeling, is often but insincere, false, everything as it is in society.our reliancetheir sincerely, on God some less sincerely, and demonstrate all re abeliever, toseems be clings everyone to topics the of Some put Gospels. the gian pseudo-religiousness has found, insome way, its portrait. Everyone But motifs these cannot completely taken be seriously. In texts Geor these where –we obviously can see Biblical and religious themes, religious motifs. – ders story on In ethics. almost every invented by author. the It is his position, his view, bor his which aesthetics, texts.in the This ambivalence,this change ofis notfocus a gamesuperficial change diametrically, eventhough at there times is aflash still sarcasmof vanish and intonation the and attitude to character the narrative inthe can mockingthis tone accompanies which his characterisation, can suddenly attributes, are they caricatures, author the apparently but distrusts them, way of portraying his own characters. whole, always Onthe they have comic isthis why over. times he read can several be Dato Kardava has apeculiar reader pleasure: thought, it leaves special asadness, and himwith avery grotesqueThe whichsaturates Dato Kardava’s novellas not givesonly the one time.’ is bought every of points the made by journalism, ajournalist’s is which an code anti-journalist’s one. This is one cup is and journalism twixt which, book lip, transformed can be into anti- definitely got to his read Dato Kardava really is awriter and that is why you have ‘Anyonethis: awriter, can be but not is one.’ everyone Now, character inDato Kardava’s But book. Iwould paraphrase it ‘Anyone ajournalist, can but be not is one,’ everyone says a The Man who Filled Someonein Else’s Pit Esau’s Hands DATO KARDAVA / Sh. Iatashvili, critic / literary poet, Esau’s Hands Esau’s Esau’s Hands : ‘A journalist bad is bought once, agood Noah’s Doves, Esau’s Hands The Earth WillDemand Its Rights .’ Radio Liberty , is about dig and else / - - - - - . Protection of Georgia and the Writer’s by Ministry of Culture and Monument Stories. He 2016prize won LITERA anthology 21st Century Georgian Short 2011 astory of his was included in the collections of the best short stories. In stories have several times appeared in prizes for journalism and literature. His was printed. He has won several other 2011 his extended essay AToilet Reader tion Noah’s Doves came out in 2005.In of Radio Liberty. His first prose collec reporter and at blogger the Tbilisi office prose works. Since 2002he has been a journalist and at the same time writing twenty years he has been aworking University’s physics faculty. For over graduated in 1992from Tbilisi State pseudonym of Jimsher Rekhviashvili) inBorn 1968,Dato Kardava (the Prose Collection. Prose SABA 2016in the category The Best Award Literary for shortlisted been Hands and 2016for third time he has Esau’s the for Collection Prose Best House of Georgia in the category The [email protected] Contact: Gvantsa Jobava Rights: Intelekti Publishers Published in: 2015/Intelekti Publishers Number of pages: 178 - 15 BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 - - - - Number of pages: 232 232 pages: of Number House Publishing 2011 / Siesta in: Published Karumidze Zurab Rights: Contact: Ketevan Kiguradze [email protected] worked for the Founda International tion for Sustainable Development, and Foundation. – Georgia Open Society adviser policy is a foreign he Currently Georgia. of Government the to Born in 1957, Zurab Karumidze Karumidze Zurab 1957, Born in State Tbilisi from English in graduated in a PhD awarded was and University as a research years for worked 1984. He Century 20th of Centre the for associate Univer State Tbilisi at Studies Literary the at a period spent 1994-95 he In sity. as Wisconsin-Milwaukee of University a visiting studying Fulbright Scholar, meta-fiction. American post-modernist highly written has Karumidze Zurab them: Cau among novels acclaimed which Jazzmine, and Foxtrot casian gained success instant among Georgian jazz of history the on book His readers. Literary won Jazz of Life music, The he years several 2009. For SABA Award the of fellow international an been has Washing the at Humanities for Centre also has He Louis. St. in University ton - - - / Dagny or a or Dagny Literary Magazine Arili at the University of Wisconsin / Wisconsin of the University at / Emeritus Vilas Research Professor Professor Research Vilas / Emeritus / literary / critic Rights on Karumidze’s novel novel Karumidze’s on Rights Caucasian Foxtrot Caucasian ZURAB KARUMIDZE ZURAB Caucasian Foxtrot Foxtrot Caucasian Dagny or a Love Feast Feast a Love or Dagny have been sold to: Germany (Weidle Verlag, 2017); USA (Dalkey Verlag, (Weidle been Germany sold to: have / I. Hassan on on / I. Hassan / Z. Shatirishvili on on / Z. Shatirishvili and blaze on every page. This work is unique, though it may may it though is unique, everywork on This blaze and page. poetic dissemination, narrative Its several works. comprise everyform.’ overflow pyrotechnics erudite intensities, reflexion. Zurab Karumidze has shown himself to be a realto be a himself shown has Karumidze Zurab reflexion. by experiment an interesting than more now is This writer. reani which brilliantly prose, this real is intellectual; a talented modernism.’ Georgian of the ‘high Bohemia’ mates sparkle of mind energy and ‘Theof imagination wildness ‘To say that Karumidze’s text can be read with pausing for for pausing be with can read text Karumidze’s that say ‘To for pausing without it read can You nothing: say to is breath and spontaneity with mixed is it time, the same at and, breath Archive Press, 2014); Turkey (Dedalus Kitap, 2014). (Dedalus Kitap, 2014); Turkey Press, Archive German. and English in available translations Sample Zurab Karumidze in translation / Karumidze Zurab translation in Feast Love Lavrenti Beria, the occultist guru George Gurjieff, etc. It was a critical era that critical a was It era that Beria, etc. Lavrenti the Gurjieff, occultist guru George of the and Bolsheviks grew the influence Georgia, as of the Sovietisation saw of the people folklore the adventure-filled about is – it contrast – by and grew, their artistic places. and aesthetes city of lives mountains, the Georgian of of Georgian Modernism of the 1920s and the lively artistic scene in Tbilisi at at artistic scene in Tbilisi the lively the 1920s and of Modernism Georgian of Affairs Foreign of Minister as figures historical also meet such We time. that desk the NYT head of Moscow and journalist the notorious Litvinov, USSR of the KGB of the maker Blumkin, Yasha adventurist and spy Durante, Walter and artistic traditions meet. The novel provides a picture of Roaring 1920s of Roaring picture a provides novel meet.The artistic traditions and writ meet artists, in Georgia. We and in America, in Russia Modernism and the period: occultists re-reading a of is and it agents KGB intellectuals, ers, all the predictable sentiments and passions. They are presented against the against presented are They passions. and sentiments all the predictable Epoch the Historical fact, the Age, In panorama. a historical of background theTbilisi, ofthe on Special made book. character focus is the fifthis central ethnic diverse where City time – aka the Fantastic that Georgia, at of capital Marion – a French aristocrat, though progressive and cosmopolitan – a Rus cosmopolitan and progressive though aristocrat, – a French Marion a flamboyant and KGB, for working secretly Dashkova, Nadia beauty, sian with quadrangle, up a love Theymake Karmeli. Shakro ex-prince Georgian highest mountain village. It is a story about crossing cultural boundaries and and boundaries cultural crossing a story is about It village. mountain highest people involving stories in love expressed worlds, inner and outer exploring are novel of the characters central The varying culture. widely and origin of wife his Bill Wasserstein, businessman American a young pictured: vividly starts out as a business trip soon becomes much more than that when they that than more soon trip much becomes a business as starts out The Svaneti. of province mountainous and in historic the find themselves in the region’s a feast at when a foxtrot theyclimax dance its journey reaches In 1926 an American couple are travelling through Russia and Georgia. What Georgia. What and Russia through travelling are couple American 1926 an In BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 16 the universethe as it is inreality, that revealing truth the ahuman is being born Playground.’ The image of mother unitesthem and inspires thewriter see to looking for asacred mythical placeGiants on ‘The amountain called peak down.fallen At point to start rebuild all crucial this they mother’s the grave, and tell himthat huge the cross wooden on grave the of mother their has phosis one when occurs day young the boy and the adolescent both visit him only inescapable loneliness and hopelessness. The author’s spiritual metamor course of life. But city the has become areal cage for writers, actual offering longs for some symbolic catastrophe to jolt from himfree his predetermined life: reborn, to be since his native has village become acage for ateenager. He his native and village travel to big the city. He wants dramatic changes inhis to leave aiming to show his notebook of to afamous poems poet, decides three sacred words: Fear, Hunger and Wood. One fineday the adolescent, ers whispered stories of ancient heroic family there And were deeds. inevery herding cattle: rest the all had vanished or prohibited. had been Grandmoth onlythe tradition thatwere of (a sort ravioli) survived making khinkali and to switch real the and between invented worlds. In village, the where he lived, writing his confessionsThe adolescent stopped paperon beganand instead word influencedso deeplythat him toconfidesecretshe decided his to paper. agethe of eight; his inspiration was word the ‘confession’. The meaning the of tion of three protagonists.writing started at The eight-to-ten-year-old first fragmental images builds achain of events that to leads afinal amalgama his and other characters’ native village, region, country, city and with these one to child born her. In life nothing flows continuously:the author revives binding three the characters, as she gave three as them and tothe birth all sees is Mother –ahalf-mythical, half-real image of awoman is only who the tie and feel youth’s passions and aspirations. Another key character of novel the and not of as through his to aspects own recollect he them tries childhood; and author the himself. The authorperceives his fellow characters as others nists: one eight between and ten years old, one fourteen between and fifteen Epigraphs for Forgotten Dreams Sample translation available in English. 2012); France (Quidam éditeur, 2010). (Instituto Tlaxcalteca Cultura, dela Archive 2015);USA(Dalkey Press, Germany (Pop Verlag, 2015);Azerbaijan (ADK Publishing, 2015); sian, Bulgarian, French and published countries inseveral among them: have translated been into Dutch, German, Italian, Czech, Hungarian, Rus intranslation Kharanauli Besik / not alone, but as one being. of reader the participation, collaborative thinking.’ texts, nothing is evergiven gratuitously: texts demand these put before In them. Kharanauli’s general, of case inthe Besik make whole from mosaic the fragments writer the which has paragraph, readers which themselves put will together and nature, ‘thecalled biography of soul’. the Despite its fragmentary graphical novel, but one Hermann which Hesse would have Kharanauli’s‘Besik Epigraphs for Forgotten Dreams Epigraphs for Forgotten Dreams BESIK KHARANAULI Epigraphs for Forgotten Dreams is a philosophical novel with three protago novel with three a philosophical is Kharanauli’s short stories and poems / M.Tkeshelashvili, critic / literary is one continuous is abio

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managed to survive Soviet pressure Soviet survive to managed and eternally youthful, assomeone who as an innovator by nature, brisk, wise century. Kharanauli Besik across comes a novelty on the poetic scene of 20th modernistic works were considered Kharanauli’s untraditionally ironic and Besik Nakaduli. house publishing the of magazine Mnatobi and was the director University. He worked in the literary Philology Department of Tbilisi State the from HeMetaphors. graduated Knights or the Book of Hyperboles and Forgotten Dreams and Sixty Mounted for Epigraphs books prose two and more than twenty poetry collections contemporary poets, who has produced literature, one of the most recognized Georgian in figure outstanding an inBorn 1939,Besik Kharanauli is Georgian government. for the Nobel for Prize Literature by the Georgian Literature. He was nominated of Development the to Contribution the He won Literary Award SABA 2015for awards. literary Georgian prestigious ity. He has been awarded anumber of relevancehave their and actual kept era in Georgia. Even today his works and has contributed to the post-Soviet [email protected] Contact: Gvantsa Jobava Rights: Intelekti Publishers Published in: 2005/Sulakauri Publishing House Number of pages: 320 - 17 BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 - - Number of pages: 252 pages: of Number Publishers 2014 / Intelekti in: Published Publishers Intelekti Rights: Jobava Gvantsa Contact: [email protected] of Guram Rcheulishvili prize and Best Best prize and Rcheulishvili Guram of the prize from Year the of Work Prose 2009 and in Literature Our newspaper Literary Prize in won 2010 he 2011. In Competition. One-Story Gazette’s Born in 1985, Lado Kilasonia studied studied Kilasonia Lado 1985, Born in at Africa, South Durban, in rugby In academy. Club Rugby Sharks the State Tbilisi from graduated 2007 he At history). (diplomatic University for a trainer was he time same the play rugby 20-year-old 19- to Georgia’s Georgia’s of a member and team, ers’ national and group development rugby European times four was He academy. as a trainer. and as a player champion on articles wrote he time, same the At general and sports various for rugby has and magazines and newspapers He blog. rugby Chocolate Hot the run are works His seven written books. has Geor in time to time from published newspapers. and journals literary gian Award Literary for shortlisted was He winner became 2008-2014 and SABA ------’ - / A. Kikodze, writer / writer / A. Kikodze, / P. Kushitashvili, literary / critic Kushitashvili, / P. Kilasonia’s short stories have been trans have stories short Kilasonia’s is at the same time evil and good. So are the other the time evil other good. the same So and are at is LADO KILASONIA Golden-Quarter-Style Golden-Quarter-Style A Bronx Story, Told in Tbilisi’s in Tbilisi’s Told Story, A Bronx ‘It is an unforgettable journey up a river: to the source, to the to a river: journey the source, up to unforgettable an is ‘It country; own your every of past thrusts bend in the the river and free-ranging narrative’s The a new ordeal. into heroes with the reader provides and river that stylemasterful like is me!’ find not the unbeliever surprises. ‘May pleasant many craftsmanship. rare with written novel an adventure is This is dynamic and full of zest, so many feelings come over you you over come feelings so full zest, many and of dynamic is eyes. With own your before happened have seems to it that heroes the book’s feelings, shared and participation your weaknesses their own with very people become you, close to personal charm.’ amazing and ‘The author chooses themes and things that he knows and he knows choosesand that things themes ‘Theauthor experi personally so much are him, yet close to which are or a participant almost is the reader that endured enced and us tells writer which the young these stories, of a spectator manner narrative Lado Kilasonia’s simply. so and succinctly time this humour the same at full humour, and direct of is the narration unalloyed, and positive and good-natured is The Kerosene Fairytale Fairytale Kerosene The Lado / Kilasonia in translation Lithuanian. and Polish Russian, into lated a connection with creatures of nature. But in the end, the book’s overall overall the book’s in the end, But nature. of creatures with a connection lads, both about stories or the Golden Quarter’, and ‘Bronx is atmosphere an to concoct like would director any a film, if for badgood – material and the 1990s... of lightness the unbearable about blockbuster appealing when impressions were most acute, in childhood. Such a hero as Maro Bebo Maro as a hero in childhood. Such acute, most were when impressions in establish world, goodnessman’s in find when they cannot who, characters Lado and lads of his generation were children. When a boy most needs a most a boy When children. were generation his Lado lads of and Ab or in in civil war, the fighting are the time is when their fathers father or money, to earn abroad fled Ossetia, in South if theykhazia, haven’t or in this told books begin in stories the past, The prison. in drugs, or on aren’t force in his own person and then passes it on to others. The times, however, however, The times, others. to on then passes it and person own in his force fatherless of calls the ‘time evil, which the author and rise injustice give to to 1990s, the grey when name story of the same the give heroes The ness’. a continuous narrative, one general history, one life – as lived on the streets, the streets, on lived – as life one history, general one narrative, a continuous of plenty is There life. and death divided into the years, over way, in a human a differ but element, the controlling not this is in the book, but aggression this shows if a man be to even greater, out turn which may force, sort of ent ments of one entire narrative, novel-like episodes. As the title suggests, the suggests, title episodes. As novel-like narrative, entire one of ments them in thedistrict, char Quarter’ and ‘Golden Tbilisi’s of stories these are tell storystoryand to recur They real. from probably are stories and acters This book by Lado Kilasonia is a collection of stories, but even more frag more even but stories, of by collection a Kilasoniais This Lado book BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 18 The ‘CaucasianAlchemists’ secretthe knew of life; Astamur, too, subcon pain of mortality is overcome by joy the of faith inimmortality. reader perceives death as a beautiful continuation of life. In novel, the the in early youth) is portrayed without any heart-rending pathos, that so the death of other the main hero, Tata to an incurable victim falls (who illness and by jaded beauty. advertisements see to and spectacles, superficial The writerthe doesn’t depress she arouses her reader: her reader, is who tired memories. The novel has love, it hasdashed hopes, it has loss of faith, but sometimes from letters written by sometimes afriend, imbued through ing process, without letting abandon them anative Leitmotiv, comes which where meetings with émigrés and sharing aforeign culture is an interest Amsterdam at seem, first sight, to have comfortablysettled ina foreignland, world, but remain hostages to past. the The couplewho have emigrated to other lands, without looking back.have They found parallelrefuge ina Astamur represents generation the the country has which tovarious fled flight elsewhere: their instinctgives further peace. them no will they which has its sold property and away is taking from homeland the knowledge the ity. The hasother half as chosen its professionthe smashing of stereotypes, recovering fromit not does the war: fleeingas a country recognise prior chaos inthe of awar cannothalf necessity and the of acountry see poetry ters achieve self-awareness. The new generation is split up and divided. One These arethe complex and contradictorypaths whichthe by main charac ing it, confessing to it and finallyfinding it(inreality, or onalevel). mystic novel is intersected by loss the of of something, making then sense it, valu is who saidParviz, to have died, or Astamur, is who saidalive. to be The mainthe hero has not able been to tell of which brothers twin is which: Episodes form from novel’s the childhood Leitmotiv, that so we that learn gist Astamur in various looks who towns for nightingales the of Isfahan. livesthe and fates of generations. the The novel’s main hero is an ornitholo ten a likeshort film, asingle-take aboutstory Georgia:all of it tells us about The Nightingales of Isfahan Sample translation available in German. Germany (TheaterZeit, 2015; der Frankfurter Verlagsanstalt, 2013). Nestan Kvinikadze intranslation / digest of Georgia’s recent past. novel.logical The story, narrated kaleidoscopicallytwo in cities, a is infact The Nightingales of Isfahan ‘flow of consciousness’, fragmentary usingand quasi-mythological symbols, ‘diluted’. The novel awakens many associationsthe in reader’s mind. With its The reason nothe does marry Tatathat is he is afraid thebeing of mystery gazing’ is proof of this. sciously akinship senses distant with those ancestors. His constant ‘star- ever, unreal.’ unexpectedly arebook sometimes unbearably realistic, sometimes, how tragi-comic game played by author. the The storiesthis in always that be of one great, contrasting and often eccentric tonalities, sounds and colours, reader’s the will experience of differentthings and combines characters, atmospheres, and plays. But, although, tells kinds collection this us all book brings together ‘This Nestan Kvinikadze’s novels, tales The Nightingales of Isfahan NESTAN KVINIKADZE is a post-modern text, anovelisticis apost-modern narrative writ shows to atendency becoming aneo-mytho Kvinikadze’s works have published been in წაკითხვის სიამოვნება”. ნესტან პირველად მათი მელოდეს გაეცნობიან წინ ისევ იქნებოდა, “კარგი პირველად ლიტერატურას: კვინიკაძის ახლა რომელნიც მიმართ, მკითხველების ისეთი გამოვთქვაშური მკითხველური ცნობილი რომ დამრჩენია, ისღა კი გამო წიგნის ამ “ისპაჰანის ბულბულებიდან”). კიდევ (ჯერ ვარ მკითხველი მისი ხანია დიდი უკვე მე რადგან კვინიკაძეს, ნესტან ვასახელებ აუცილებლად ავტორს გამახსენდნენ, დროს ცოტა რომელიც ამ იმ შესაძლოა რომლებიც წასაკითხად, შორის, წასაკითხია, ვურჩიო კარგი უბრალოდ ტექსტი და ისეთი დახვეწილი თანამედროვე, რაიმე მეკითხება, ვინმე როცა ჩვენზეა დაჩვენსირგვლივხდება,ანსაერთოდჩვენში. და გვეუცხოოს მოგვეჩვენოს კიდეც, უცნაურად მაგრამ რაღაც შესაძლოა დროს ვხვდებით, შეხედვით რომ არავინ ეს ერთი ასე ყველაფერი რომელიც სავარაუდოდ ენით. ამბებს, და ჰყვება ფორმით უნიკალურია ტექსტები მისი ჰგავს. არ არავის ის ტექსტები დაბეჭდილი ნენეს ტექსტები აქ ჩემთვის ყოველთვის სრული სიახლეა, ყოველთვის ორიგინალურია. რადგან გასაღებია, ქცეული სიყვარულისქრონიკაა. ტექსტის ამ ნერვებისმომშლელი შეყვარებულების (ან შეიძლება შეყვარებულობის) და ყველა ტრანსად ვნება ეს და ფატალური ზოგჯერაც გარდაუვალია... აკვიატებული, პოეტური ზოგჯერ ბანალური, ზოგჯერ სულაც სიყვარული,რომელიც ვნება, საბედისწერო სურათებით და და შეიძლება სიჯიუტე დრამა ირაციონალური აბსურდი, ენაცვლება ყოფითი ენაცველება ერთმანეთს ან აქ ნარატივს; სისწრაფით კინო-ენისთვის, დამახასიათებელ ტექსტისთვის დამაბნეველი შეიძლება თხრობა” გადატვირთულ, “მშრალი აქ დიდ, ირეალური; მოულოდნელად ერთ კი ზოგჯერ რეალისტურია, აუტანლად ზოგჯერ ავტორი ამბები რომ განცდა, რჩება წიგნისამ ითრევს. თამაშში ტრაგი-კომიკურ ექსცენტრულ ხშირად და კონტრასტულ - მკითხველს, ყოველ ჩემნაირ - მკითხველს შემთხვევაში, აერთიანებს, ფერს თუ ბგერას ტონალობას, ატმოსფეროს, პერსონაჟს,ამბავს, სხვადასხვა უამრავ კრებული ეს რომ იმისა, მიუხედავად თუმცა თავმოყრილი, პიესებია და მოთხრობები რომანები, კვინიკაძის ნესტან წიგნში ამ / L.Bugadze, writer / 9 ISBN 978-9941-9430-3-4 ფასი: 14.90 7 8 9 9 4 1 ლაშა ბუღაძე 9 4 4 7 6 5 -

------nestan nene kvinikaZe nene nestan der Jaguare published by Frankfurter Georgian women authors, Techno in the anthology of contemporary translated into German and included from her novel Techno of Jaguars was magazine Focus. In 2013an extract monthly bilingual (Georgian-English) 2006 she has been editor-in-chief of a tions of prose, and three novels. Since kadze has also published several collec of film scripts and plays. Nestan Kvini Since then she has written anumber lection Unanimously, at the age of 18. the first volume of her short story col Journalism). In 1998she published Film and Theatre (faculty of Cinema- State University Rustaveli of Shota journalist. She graduated from the a Georgian writer, scriptwriter and Born in 1980,Nestan Kvinikadze is the TV channelthe TV Rustavi 2. a daily talk show The Other Noon on Currently she works asthe producer of was thatogy of Kvinikadze’s novel. Verlagsanstalt. The title of the anthol [email protected] Contact: Irakli Bakuridze Rights: Books in Batumi Published in: 2015/Books in Batumi Number of pages: 388 nestan nenekvinikaZe - - - - 19 BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 - - Number of pages: 412 pages: of Number 2010 in: Published Sulakauri Publishing House Rights: Sulakauri Publishing House Tsikhelashvili Mikheil Contact: [email protected] cessful writing career, earns his living living his earns career, writing cessful wooden decorative selling and making He books. five published has He statues. Prize GALA the 2010 in Literary won Book. Best The category Born in 1960 in Tbilisi, Zurab Lezhava Lezhava Zurab Tbilisi, in 1960 Born in started working in a state-owned print ing house soon after graduating the 1982 In College. Technical Georgian for 16 years for imprisoned was he Soviet the against activities resistance traumatising that result, a As militia. his in seen be to is often experience intensity the in is reflected and prose is a Lezhava Zurab writings. his of the called recently artist, self-made the (after prose’ Georgian of ‘Pirosmani painter self-taught Georgian legendary his with writer The Pirosmani). Niko his and experience life his style, naive reader the sense takes literary acute Lezhava’s Zurab unique, something to sometimes and mesmerizing world, Nowadays imagine. to horrible even too suc his with along Lezhava, Zurab - - - - - (In

magazine / magazine is a collec a is Tabula – a naturalistic phan a naturalistic – Buy ourBuy Souls / Z. Burchuladze, writer / writer / Z. Burchuladze, Lezhava’s short stories have been translated and been translated have stories short Lezhava’s ZURAB LEZHAVA ZURAB describes very the a new modern to similar world, Buy ourBuy Souls Child Takes a Bite from a Persimmon a Persimmon from a Bite Child Takes in the Month of October / Buy Our OctoberSouls / Buy of in the Month bre of Waits’s voice. The band is made up of prisoners from a from prisoners of up made is The band voice. Waits’s of bre the they accompany instruments, musical of instead and gaol ladles, while and pots the clip plates, bowls, iron with singing Jarmusch.’ the old and Kusturica by simultaneously directed is ‘This book is a cocktail. It mixes the prose of Charles Bukows of Charles prose the It mixes ‘This is a cocktail. book If (liqueur). Auster Paul Allen (cream), Woody ki (whisky), Dovlatov Sergei (acetone), Yerofeyev Venedikt of add a bit you as far then, as (lemon), Daniil Kharms the late and (grappa) is music as far will As get. you this what concerned, is taste are this book say: read to you when you hard it’s concerned, the tim will have you but songs, Waits’s Tom of reminded not stituto Tlaxcalteca de la Cultura, 2015); USA (Dalkey Archive Press, 2012, 2011). 2012, Press, (Dalkey 2015); USA Archive de la Cultura, Tlaxcalteca stituto German. in available translation Sample Zurab Lezhava in translation / LezhavaZurab in translation 2015); Mexico Publishing, (ADK Azerbaijan in several anthologies: published with excrement. Victor sees that the divine kingdom of Evil has no fairytale no has Evil of kingdom the divine sees that Victor excrement. with mixed chaotically are matters these supernatural Instead, phantasmagoria. and solitude. criminality ugliness, filth, poverty, troubles: life’s into lose, he settles upon a dangerous path to nowhere. Step by step he sees he every step by Step nowhere. to path dangerous a settles lose, upon he the discovers and marries a prostitute He unearthlylegendary creature. and Accompanying Ball.’ ‘Satan’s at spring face in a magic his truth,ugly washing filled sewage tubes hell: to even recognises the he gates caravan, the devil’s naturalistic way of expression. Victor’s adventures, once out of prison, are are prison, of out once adventures, Victor’s expression. of way naturalistic of the Devil, in city the a vagabond He becomes filled images. shocking with to nothing has Deciding he the same. and one police are criminals and where jail houses, prisoners receive a proposal to sell their souls: for a bag of tea, a bag of sell to their for souls: a proposal receive prisoners houses, jail an just Nazradze, Victor But coffee. milk and for cigarettes, of pack a for freedom. for asks man, ordinary very a with plot raw, age-old an imbues Zurab Lezhava by novel unusual This How would one feel given the possibility of seeing the devil himself at any any seeing the devil of at himself the possibility given feel one would How all with horns his nowhere, of out approach to suddenly were he If minute? And every in himself by? passing person other show to were he teeth? If and Tbilisi’s of in one friend? day One your himself all, considered if he of worse The novel The novel chaotic is the regime surreal, are people absurd, facts are where one, real it. embrace soul to no has but freedom the dangerous into steps a man and leaving prison witnesses an extraordinary protest of statues; or the words the words or statues; of protest extraordinary an witnesses prison leaving a character to sex, or fridge old for an who exchanges a man to refer may underwear to Monroe’s Marilyn get to in order faces danger whofearlessly Georgia. of invasion army’s the Russian stop words are spoken by the protagonists but express the essence of almost all almost the of essence express but the protagonists by spoken are words to a attributed are words Those Lezhava. Zurab by created the characters who after a man statue, a marble raping publicly for sentenced character by creatures just like you, and you still cannot find your own place among among place own your find still cannot you and you, like just creatures by your to surrendered have if you you, scares change them, if the slightest a happy are thenyou future, your to more, what’s and, present your to past, seen...’ These yet nobody has see to that things chance a have you man... tion of short stories and a short novel novel a short and stories short of tion live to happen if you failure, is fate if your alone, are you ‘If tasmagoria. everybody where somewhere surrounded are trying is if you escape, to A Child Takes a Bite from a Persimmon in the Month of October October of Month the in a Persimmon from a Bite Takes A Child BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 20 ter, and one of merits the of novel this is interesting the way characters are much alive and Tamta modern. Melashvili at good creating is very charac about it and by hushing up real the story. The novel’s characters are very totalitarianism, to whom punish has history tried through love, by silence love; on other the hand, it is about awoman eraof the experienced who about growing agirl up without inGeorgia love, is who looking agirl for unavailable or is outside range the of service.’ one Onthe hand, is book the tor’s unvarying response: ‘the number you which have is temporarily dialled tea, by telephoning her ex-lover it and he when least expects by opera the her lap-top, by checking her email, by going into kitchen the and making cedure is depicted novel inthe by repetitive actions, by opening and closing mostin the feeble way. The irksome monotonywhich imbues this all pro address her own problems by researching story, this but everything she does in a wayseems to chosetopic this in a mechanical way solely in order to tionship.’ In words the of critic Shota the Iatashvili, ‘Irina is who depressed and merge it with her own life and it use her to own heal ‘failed love rela Dariani is by determined Irina’s wish, to acentury-old take tense love story a genuine search for ‘truth’. the In Irina’s fact, ‘search’ for myth the of Elene recently, have more been of an interpretation of her own life personal than ing to solve century-old the mystery of Dariani, Elene although, her efforts, The heroine of Tamta Melashvili’s novel is a young woman, Irina. Shetry is ems was agenuine, actually existing, but unknown woman, Bakradze. Elene other version appears 1990s,according inthe to author the which of po these mystification by Paolo Iashvili,although, basisthe on of archival material, an was thought that proud the and erotic ‘Elene Dariani diaries’ were apoetic femme mystère famousthe Georgian avant-garde Paolo poet Iashvili, the or Bakradze, Elene lines? Who wrote using pseudonym 14poems the of Dariani? Elene Was it want you, your eyes,your arms, your tenderness,’ is author who the of these down on sun-coloured the sand, where pyramids the stand insilence, Ishall ‘Where pyramids the stand insilence,sun the when is lie married, being Ishall Sample translation available in German. Germany, Frankfurter Verlagsanstalt, 2013,Germany. A Killer’s Job 2015); Russia (Samokat, 2014); Switzerland (Unionsverlag, 2012). Out Tamta Melashvili intranslation / portrayed, is, which reflection at good times.the sameof the time, avery have to: sold Macedonia been (Shkupi, 2016);Croatia (Hena Com, Agota Kristof.’ themesthe and attitude, the Tamta Melashvili reminds us of a linguistic point of view, given narrative’s the style, radical are unbounded. ‘In absorbing this and breath-taking prose and time place lescents make novel the short the dialogues, chapters and rough the slang of ado the made to upseems be of verbatim The direct speech. dynamic youngthe woman writer’s tempo style, the of her text, which inGeorgiansual literature. But what is more noteworthy is ‘War through teenagers’ seen eyes–just that theme is unu in: who is suspected of iswho suspected his being secretlover? For along it time Techno der Jaguare –Neue Erzählerinnen aus Georgien TAMTA MELASHVILI Counting Out Out Counting To East the Counting Out Counting / M. Ebel on on / M.Ebel Rights on Melashvili’s novel is a very special debut. special Fromis avery / C. Eller on C.Eller Counting Out Counting ვინ დაწერა 14 ლექსი, რომელსაც „ელენე დარიანის დღიურების“ დღიურების“ დარიანის „ელენე რომელსაც ლექსი, 14 დაწერა ვინ იაშვილი? რატომ არასოდეს დაუჩემებიათ ლექსების ავტორობა? ავტორობა? ლექსების დაუჩემებიათ არასოდეს რატომ იაშვილი? დავწვები მზისფერ სილაზე“ – ვინ არის ამ სტრიქონების ავტორი? ავტორი? სტრიქონების ამ არის ვინ – სილაზე“ მზისფერ დავწვები უცნობმა ქალმა ელენე ბაქრაძემ? რატომ არასდროს სრულდება სრულდება არასდროს რატომ ბაქრაძემ? ელენე ქალმა უცნობმა abreath-taking work.’ დარიანის საუკუნოვანი საიდუმლოს გახსნას ცდილობს, თუმცა თუმცა ცდილობს, გახსნას საიდუმლოს საუკუნოვანი დარიანის დავა ლექსების ავტორის შესახებ? რისთვის რჩება საიდუმლო საიდუმლო რჩება რისთვის შესახებ? ავტორის ლექსების დავა სახელით ვიცნობთ? ცნობილმა პოეტმა პაოლო იაშვილმა თუ თუ იაშვილმა პაოლო პოეტმა ცნობილმა ვიცნობთ? სახელით ეს მცდელობა მისივე პირადი ცხოვრებით განპირობებული განპირობებული ცხოვრებით პირადი მისივე მცდელობა ეს საიდუმლოდ? რატომ დუმდნენ ელენე ბაქრაძე და პაოლო პაოლო და ბაქრაძე ელენე დუმდნენ რატომ საიდუმლოდ? ირინა, თამთა მელაშვილის ახალი რომანის გმირი, ელენე ელენე გმირი, რომანის ახალი მელაშვილის თამთა ირინა, ინტერპრეტაციაა, ხოლო ალტერნატიული მითი დარიანის დარიანის მითი ალტერნატიული ხოლო ინტერპრეტაციაა, „იქ, სადაც სდუმან პირამიდები, მზის ქორწილის დროს მე მე დროს ქორწილის მზის პირამიდები, სდუმან სადაც „იქ, TamTa melaSvili 9 aRmosavleTiT Counting Out Counting facebook.com/bakursulakauripublishing შესახებ ჩვენ თვალწინ იბადება. თვალწინ ჩვენ შესახებ ISBN 978-9941-23-504-7 789941 235047 /

Tages-Anzeiger sulakauri.ge Counting Counting / Spiegel in -

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aRmosavleTiT TamTa melaSvili TamTa Bücher aus unabhängigen Verlagen ten in the 2012Hotlist by Diebesten and was nominated asone of the best ashvili’s work became known abroad 2011. The following year Tamta Mel and won the Literary Award SABA in work of ‘a new, highly distinctive voice’ novel was acclaimed by critics asthe was published: it soon won success. The Melashvili’s debut work Counting Out anthologies of fiction. In 2010Tamta sites and were later included in various first appeared online on literary web- University, Budapest). Her short stories in Gender Studies (Central European feminist activist and has abackground at Tbilisi State University. She a is and works asaresearcher and teacher Melashvili currently lives in Tbilisi Born in 1979in Ambrolauri, Tamta category The Best Novel for To the East. for Literary Award SABA 2016in the adult category. She has been shortlisted Jugendliteraturpreis 2013in the young in Germany and won the Deutscher [email protected] Contact: Rachel Gratzfeld Rights: Tamta Melashvili House Publishing Sulakauri Published in: 2015 Number of pages: 126 TamTa melaSvili aRmosavleTiT - 21 BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 - - - Rusudan Mosidze Mosidze Rusudan

Guram Odisharia

Number of pages: 852 pages: of Number 2014 in: Published Bakmi Publishing House Rights: Contact: [email protected] poetry and prose are greatly influenced influenced greatly are prose and poetry Sukhumi. city native his of images by Away is So Far Which Sea The play The The novel Odisharia’s the on (based award an given was Sea Ocean) Black 2014. of Play Best as The Born in 1951 in Sukhumi, Guram Guram Sukhumi, in 1951 Born in and poet is a Georgian Odisharia and Culture of Minister formerly writer, At Georgia. of Protection Monument a correspond been has he times various broadcasting, radio Abkhazian for ent regional Abkhazian the for a reporter Abkha the to a consultant newspaper, of editor Union, Writers’ of Branch zia the of director and Ritsa magazine the Publishing. Merani of branch Abkhazia war- entire the spent Odisharia Guram his leaving Sukhumi, in period time 1993 – 27 September on only city native he then Since fell. Sukhumi that day the conflictol of field the in active been has in participated regularly has ogy and 2008 In talks. peace Georgian-Abkhaz granted was he Korea), (South Seoul in His Peace. for Ambassador of status the . / - - - The The Pass The Radio Liberty Liberty Radio The Cyclops Bomb Cyclops The and are a journalist Zurab and a doctora and Zurab journalist a are / G. Gvakharia, / art critic Odisharia’s novels have been translated been translated have novels Odisharia’s GURAM ODISHARIA GURAM TheBlack Sea Ocean is a semi-fictional-documentary novel. The tragicevents semi-fictional-documentary a is novel. is virtually a book about one man, but basically this man is basically this man but man, one virtually is a book about is a novel dedicated to cameramen working in hot spots. The spots. in hot working cameramen to dedicated a novel is In this novella the author describes episodes in the Georgian- the author this novella In eyes... and it is this ‘opening of eyes,’ or catharsis, to which to catharsis, or eyes,’ of this is ‘opening it eyes... and be can compared...’ writer this Sukhumi of the prose ‘Guram Odisharia writes that in peace the loyal time only that writes Odisharia ‘Guram unfortunately while the majority, greatest, its at love feel can they their open can before serious troubles need us, some for The Black Black novels) The of Sea collection (A Ocean Sample translations available in English and German. and English in available translations Sample (Slovart, 2015); Ukraine (Anetta Antonenko Publishers, 2015); Germany 2015); Germany Publishers, Antonenko (Anetta 2015); Ukraine (Slovart, 2015). (Reichert Verlag, Guram Odisharia in translation / in translation Guram Odisharia Armenian, Turkish, Abkhaz, Ukrainian, German, Russian, English, into them: among in several countries been published have and languages Italian 2016); Slovakia 2016); Armenia (Antares, Revolutsia, (Kulturnaia Russia mythical. and 1980s. inthe 1970s The Sukhumi about trail-blazing book is first This the Guram and maps The book people. real also contains in the book are characters graphics. interesting typical Odisharia’s a kind of collective person, around whom a whole gallery a whole whom person colourful of around person, collective a kind of and humourous its with impression an creates the novel gathered; are alities half half real, is that impression an Abkhazia, and Sukhumi about stories warm many different aspects. It is a book about great love, about war and and hatred peace, war about love, great is a It about book aspects. different many an make and dynamic is action novel’s The hope. and despair sympathy, and the reader. on impression immediate Cat President’s The greater part of the novel is about Zurab’s journey to the coast. All during the Allthe coast. journey to during Zurab’s about is the novel part of greater Dea, with period the terrible spent the war, bestjourney recalls of his years he facets and many has the novel short, In in the past. sad events or happy and ethnic Georgian population. After the war, Zurab and Dea live in Tbilisi. For in Tbilisi. and Dea live Zurab war, the After population. ethnic Georgian who cel is Zurab, Eve, Year’s New One separating. they up end reasons various then Dea He died. has learn that to a friend, with happens Year New ebrating the Actually, car. in his the coast for heads and the restaurant from away slips partially revealed in the closing phrases of the book.partially of phrases revealed in the closing of characters main The armed 1992-3 the After Sea, the Black Sukhumi. in on town a in Dea,who live withthe together city, native to flee their forced Abkhazia, are they in conflict on reality. The author travels frequently to various regions of the Caucasus. He of the Caucasus. regions to various frequently travels author The reality. on nationalities. of various of people lifestyles and the region in conflicts the studies bemay which a way problems, these to solve seek a way novel of this heroes The The Cyclops Bomb Cyclops The conflict in various himself who finds a cameraman a journey by follows plot as a videopresented are novel in the unfolding and events stories The zones. video see tapes. The if on them, would as camera draw novel in the themes pass together with tens of thousands of others fleeing their homes. The story The homes. is fleeing their others of thousands of tens with together pass like read the novel make plots style; the brusque short and emotional in an told a film script. doscopeically, intertwining episodes before the war, during the war and after and the war during the war, episodes before intertwining doscopeically, well-known the including novellas, 45 comprises novel The the war. Persecuted. the of a highmountain he crossed readerhow tells the He conflict. armed Abkhazian Black Sea Ocean; The President’s Cat; Return to Sukhumi to Return Cat; President’s The Sea Ocean; Black Returning to Sukhumi kalei depicted are himself, the author by witnessed history, Georgian recent of The collection of novels includes the author’s four most acclaimed works: works: acclaimed most four author’s the includes novels of collection The BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 22 must to letus be perceive world, the as far as possible, as something that happened or are about to happen. this Theofnarrative purpose method ences, and together with sometimes, them, necessary, when things that have reader’s consciousness anumber of contemporary phenomena or experi mation. This is how in he succeeds bringing, as ifsimultaneously, intothe of his characters inextended sentences that are saturated highly with infor of voluminous constructions. syntactical He tells us strange the adventures and artistic original representational Paichadze Soso devices. is an architect and elaborating extraordinary moral problems, is which done by of use the Paichadze’sSoso prose, inmany above is special, for aspects, all with dealing into Russian, Ukrainian, Hungarian, and Czech, German Serbo-Croatian. Paichadze in translationSoso / world,the that so we at look world the and our own selves with interest. to enhanceless and These storiesour try grim. feeling forthe mysteries of massivelyhas been blunted. As a consequence, life their has become colour of universe, the in which today’s mercenary world people’s capacity to sense Paichadze’sstories. Soso prose is reflection aliterary the of mysteriousness it is reliable proof of great the craftsmanship literary the of author these of giving readervised, the acomplex, maximally precise of idea an experience: it like that, epic arewhich similes, extremely idiosyncratic and acutely de Paichadze’s achieved byalso Soso characteristically spacious, ifwe can put healing powers, capable of catharsis. Success increating atmosphere this is and bringing to life subconscious. the fog, Acool, magical endowed with in fog. This is a whichpower thefog has of dimmingthe conscious mind and present the cannot separated be –indivisible, inseparable and… hidden cannot up divided be into separate phenomena, as awhole past the inwhich hesitate to write script, the ifhe entrusted it to me, of course.’ want to make afilm of it thenand, I if wouldhe does, not to one of our famous directors film the that in hope will he Warm, Magical Rain, cinema work; one of his much-praised stories inparticular, ‘A lot of other pieces remind me of Michelangelo Antonioni’s simple inhis work is plot.’ the classified as a ‘difficult’ writer. The one thing that is relatively Paichadze’s ofacteristic Soso stories. In short, he has to be complex comparisons, complex composition are char all Complexods. syntax, complex and unusual associations, to createnecessary and artistic new representational meth complex are which experiences hard to in,naturally, take it is implied by asubtext. In order to convey extraordinary, previously went unnoticed or were by-passed, or were only conventional, traditional prose. It with themes which deals ‘Soso Paichadze’s prose liesoutside framework the of Georgian Alternative Prose SOSO PAICHADZE has induced me to pass on book this Paichadze’s stories have translated been / L.Bregadze, critic / literary / M.Mosulishvili, writer / ------Union 1990for Prize the story Warm, Fall To? He won Georgian Writers’ 1995 –his last book –Where did You writer’s second collection appeared, in The Last Substitute Player. In 1985the stories short of collection first his lished 1977 the Merani publishing house pub first short story appeared in 1970.In his first article of literary criticism. His newspaper Literary Georgia published his literary career in 1969,when the tor of the magazine Mnatobi. He began for many years he was deputy chief edi director in the Georgian Film studio; various times he worked asan assistant University, graduating in 1965.At at the philology faculty of Tbilisi State Pedagogical Institute, and then studied ied history and philology at Batumi PaichadzeSoso (1943-1994)stud Magical Rain. Magical [email protected] Contact: Gia Karchkhadze Rights: Karchkhadze Publishing House House Publishing Karchkhadze Published in: 2016/ Number of pages: 489 - - - 23 BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 - Number of pages: 56 56 pages: of Number Publishing 2010 / Shemetsneba in: Published Pkhakadze Tamri Contact: Rights, [email protected] Born 1957 in Tbilisi, graduated from from graduated Tbilisi, Born 1957 in (philology University State Tbilisi a PhD has Pkhakadze Tamri faculty). 2006 she to 1980 From philology. in Georgian of Institute the at worked been has 2011 she since Literature; working for the publishing house Triasi has 2015 she Since chief. in as editor children’s the for scriptwriter a become pub has She Basti-Bubu. workshop of collections three novels, three lished children’s fifteen to up and plays prose, have works her of a few Quite books. among theatres, various in staged been a War in Gardening Kitchen them four in performed been has which Zone, this on based A film cities. different times several has She is planned. work units. military to readings given - - - - / / Literary Palitra Sakartvelos Respublika Kitchen Gardening Gardening Kitchen The feeling is just like like the just is feeling The was written in 2004 and very be and 2004 in quickly written was M. Mosulishvili, writer / magazine writer M. Mosulishvili, / TAMRI PKHAKADZE TAMRI / G. Kiladze, critic / newspaper / newspaper critic / G. Kiladze, . It is a wonder… When I read it I want to have have to I want it I read When a wonder… is . It Kitchen Gardening in a War Zone a War in Gardening Kitchen ‘It is a long time since I have felt the breath of our land our of the breath felt I have time since a long is ‘It in it Pkhakadze portrays Tamri that in the way anywhere, Zone. a War in Gardening Kitchen love.’ somebody you of recovery ‘Everyone ought to read this person’s work, whatever their whatever work, this person’s read to ought ‘Everyone it… in themselves for will find something Everyone age. novels remarkable of a number Pkhakadze written has Tamri work, amazing an has She stories… and Zone a War in Tamarasheni.’ in the village of there, lived Sample translation of the novel CV available in German. German. in CV available novel the of translation Sample The new owner of Robinson’s house is wounded and is taken to hospital. hospital. to is taken and wounded is house of Robinson’s owner new The selflessly Robinson defend. to Robinson for land and house his leaves He heritage... his house, former his garden, kitchen his defends in his village, keeping busy, ploughing and sowing, expecting sowing, a harvest and and ploughing busy, keeping village, in his be seems to stand planted grandfather his that tree walnut the enormous more becomes weapons of The sound soul. rustling in his and again ing fails. resistance men’s flee. Some children and Women frequent. more and comes into Robinson’s head. Close to his house, on a fallow meadow he lays lays he meadow a fallow on Close house, head. his to Robinson’s into comes land of a piece himself gets thus and garden a kitchen for a small area out is he again Once meaning. life Robinson’s gives It whichneeds defending... first letter from America arrives, and Zaliko is confessing that he never was never was he that and arrives, is confessing Zaliko America from letter first initial his for needed money America and to emigrated simply he ill, that he back rushes Again, his pain. with alone utterly left is expenses. Robinson idea a strange then that is It zone. a war become now the village which has to es his own house and the curtain is lifted on a terrible on a the curtainsecret: has, lifted and Zaliko is house own es his fly to used themoney and land and soldthe house anyone, telling without the for is it himself that he consoles but horrified, is America... Robinson to a frightful is there surprise: Zaliko’s health... Suddenly brother’s his sake of gets worse every day, Robinson is overcome more and more by a powerful, a powerful, by more and more overcome is Robinson every worse gets day, gets Robinson day, fine one so, And village. native his of love subconscious approach he excited, and Worried birthplace... his for setsoff and bus a into village. Zaliko begins to have bad headaches. He says that he has caught a caught has he that says He bad headaches. Zaliko village. have begins to in America. Robin dreadful be disease treated and only which can strange treatment. forVery America to fly soon wife his and Zaliko horrified. is son by that conflict the affected wholly area in an now village is his Although elder brother, Robinson, is an agronomist by profession, and works on the on works and profession, by agronomist an is Robinson, brother, elder Zaliko tries marry to brother girl and the city; a city of greening the younger native his nostalgia for more and more very feels soon succeeds. Robinson theatres. Regardless of the specific situation, the work deals a globalwith work the the specific situation, of Regardless theatres. and zone conflict arise in any that phenomena on touches it for problem, They leave brothers. of storytwo us tells the work The war. in the of theme The city. the capital to go and the Liakhvi river the banks of their village on came popular. It became more significant, because the author returned to returned author the because significant, became more It popular. came Because 2008 war. the August the of theme it into introduced and work her still is in Georgian being staged this name of a play relevance acute its of Kitchen Gardening in a War Zone a War in Gardening Kitchen BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 24 drug addict with whom addict he intendsdrug up to set abusiness, is which to keep him a boy, his mother while lives separately. Vakho, He called has afriend also a ofstory arecent reality. sad The novel’s hero,writer, a haswife, a Ketino, and distinctly important, since it narrates an honestly and impartially described hewho with. is toThis destined be novel,written in one continuous flow,is ofcause an he has individual, ideology the faith the that only love can tell him ofof has-beens.’ society the He cannot adjust to or accept any ideology, be life. The protagonist writeris a who considers himself ‘a member respectable whole class of bureaucrats with making money obsessed with a comfortable The novelpoverty-strickenthewhen the 1990s set in country is providesa Sample translations available in English and German. (Antares, 2014). translatedbeen and published in:Italy (Palombi Editore, 2015);Armenia in translation Samsonadze / Irakli his mother gave his son as agift. to summon tries cally up strength the to write about astory acushion which The ease. project fails. decides to leaveVakho the country. writer The periodi writer, using pseudonym the of Maksime. Here too, writer the fails to feel at writer as apersonality. Vakho introduces himto an is activist, who awoman he suggests writer the shouldperiod: join aparty. is interestedparty The the in Vakho’sand keep kidneys. their they is next to linked idea pre-election the paid 5,000dollars be each.But will turnsthey deal out the impossible to be sent be to thatthem aMoscow agree, will ifthey kidneys their laboratory and contact They idea. the crippled Nanawhothe isin business. Nana explains to each.Thewriterwiththe should becomes akidney they sell idea: obsessed through winter the and life ingeneral. Meanwhile, Vakho proposes alucrative game ofa sort using ball various letters of alphabet. tothe get Thustry they are reconciled. At night, frozen after intheir bed, conjugal relations, they play with two whores,drunk and depresses himself even more. Husband and wife regulartheir quarrels, writer the leaves home and, together with Vakho, gets writer and his wife often have arguments aboutlack of money. After oneof come normal and church the only rituals. obliges these The people to observe tion. There, unfamiliarrituals, which have nothing withto do faith, havebe find anything incommonwith him. Eventhe churchgives them no consola have who those truths stayed in TheGeorgia. writer and can Vakho no longer writerthe and Vakho; Andro life has abroad agood and reproaches with bitter recent war, aggressors and refugees. An old schoolmate, Andro, comes to visit andself his family going. Things aretheland: bad in destitution, no electricity, texts about Georgia.’ post-Soviet realism, he because has created honest and well-focussed definitelybe considered one the creatorsof Georgianof neo- orderboth and justice disintegrating. Irakli Samsonadze can is acreation out of chaos, it with is sadness the of asociety past, and testimony adetailed of flow the of life. as ifrecalling asignificant human the experience of recent and melancholy. human Every init experience is infocus, ofdestruction an empire. Its realism is cruel heartrending Cushion reality and leaves along-lasting impression on us. Everything he writes is an representation artistic of aharsh ‘Irakli Samsonadze is awriter makes who no concessions. concerns apeople and aland sufferingfrom the IRAKLI SAMSONADZE / E.Tskhadadze, critic /newspaper literary The Cushion Samsonadze’s novel The Cushion The Cushion The The The 24 Saati has has / - - - - -

Georgian State 2001in Prize the Field TraditionalThe Banquet; Georgian Play for Grandmother Mariam, or SABA 2005in the category The Best Frightened Street and Literary Award A for Collection Story Short Best The Awardary SABA 2013in the category prose and drama among them: Liter has received various awards for his in theatres across Georgia. The author Fifteen of his plays have been staged he worked at the Georgian Film studio. as its editor-in-chief. In the late 1980s 1992 to 1996and later was appointed editor almanac the of from Dramaturgy sity. Irakli Samsonadze was an assistant Department of Tbilisi State Univer 1983 he graduated from the Journalism Georgian writer and playwright. In inBorn 1961,Irakli Samsonadze a is of Literature for Triptych. [email protected] Contact: Gvantsa Jobava Rights: Intelekti Publishers Published in: 2004/Arete Publishers Number of pages: 136 - - 25 BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 - - - Number of pages: 146 pages: of Number Publishers 2014 / Intelekti in: Published Publishers Intelekti Rights: Jobava Gvantsa Contact: [email protected] lar pained empathy for his country and and country his for empathy pained lar is almost There general. in mankind for no significant stage in the history of twentieth the of that especially Georgia, the received not has that century, attention. author’s Nugzar Shataidze (1944-2009) was a a (1944-2009) was Shataidze Nugzar dramatist writer, Georgian well-known the was he years For scriptwriter. and Publish Merani at editor prose chief 2009 In Omega. magazine the and ing a made Ovashvili Giorgi director the Nugzar on based Bank Other The film in at shown was story: it Shataidze’s thirty over in festivals film ternational prize the author the won and countries Gonfreville the at Screenplay Best for Cooperation (France). Festival Film continued director and writer between which Island, The story short the with Corn film, acclaimed an became later The G. Ovashvili. by directed Island, shortlisted films nine among was film Best the category in 2015 Oscar an for writer’s The Film. Foreign-Language a particu with is imbued work creative ------) are Nug ) are Journey to Africa and / I. Amirkhanashvili, literary / critic / I. Amirkhanashvili, The Island Island The Shataidze’s short stories have been published have stories short Shataidze’s a young refugee Tedo and his mother flee war mother his and Tedo refugee a young Journey to Africa to Journey NUGZAR SHATAIDZE NUGZAR Journey to Africa he is out of the ordinary, he is receptive of the new, he com he the new, of receptive is he the ordinary, of out is he appears, he how That’s simple. and Harsh evaluates. he munes, style the same.’ is narrative His was. he how is that and doubt, because of the element of language. He knows his lan his knows He language. of the element because of doubt, impossible, is It it. of a command have just doesn’t he guage, the language. of in the structure himself of a command has he He per seek, finds. he doesn’t He depictions. free in his is He his of the shrine at a worshipper is recognises. He He ceives. and custom of a defender is He a traditionalist. He’s forebears. time, the same At antiquity. for apologist an is He tradition. ‘You think as you read: why is it so easy-going, healthy, healthy, so easy-going, it is why read: think you as ‘You Without harsh? firm, powerful, earth-bound, understandable, Sample translation available in English. in available translation Sample Nugzar Shataidze in translation / in translation Shataidze Nugzar 2015); Mexico Publishing, (ADK them: Azerbaijan among in several countries 2012). Press, 2015); USA (Dalkey Archive de la Cultura, Tlaxcalteca (Instituto drown his grief with this popular, democratic drug. democratic grief his this popular, with drown of him, and the last illusion is shattered. For some time his mother has be has mother time his some For shattered. is illusion the last him, and of com in very else, also is somewhere dubious and else, someone to longed from depths to lower the to his camp, return to is left Allhas the boy pany. to as so glue sniffs acetone He escape. to attempt a vain made he where father. The ‘return’ is described so clearly and so realistically that it becomes for it becomes realistically describedis and so that clearly so ‘return’ The father. conflict. armed the Abkhaz of picture a symbolic us no is trace there somewhere; away gone and married has father sick The than any other, as remote as Africa. He’s not afraid, because he has been has because he travel afraid, not Africa. as He’s remote as other, any than their is here And between parents. his knew he harmony where a place to ling of left glass a pane not with building deserted, derelict a silent, – flats of block no with house to a to emptiness, Prodigal of the Son return is the This intact. themselves with acetone: they are hungry and cold. But they have an instinct for for instinct an they have But cold. hungry and they are acetone: with themselves existing their all own, on they even though are together, standing and solidarity he ring a gold and 27 lari beggars. With prostitutes, tramps, go, to nowhere with frightening more region a Abkhazia, goesto the boy mother, his from stolen has rifling through them, muddy roads, deserted allotments and abandoned gar abandoned and roads, deserted muddy allotments them, rifling through whoPeople – of allgrain described fields very in a way. withered dens, graphic intoxicate Adolescents hero. the main all around are the bottom at right are undergo many ordeals. The journey involves the environment of 1990s, the the environment the The involves journey ordeals. many undergo railway destruction, cars, rusting idle and factories, devastation of panorama the blocking deserted huts streets, scattered, senselessly sleepers, pipes tracks, people and heaps rubbish of smell dogs, the choking hungry stray pavements, is difficult and dangerous, full of countless painful incidents, as well as rough well as as painfulincidents, countless of full dangerous, and difficult is homeland dreams, to lost on his journey boy, 12-year-old The conditions. living lies, and countless tell and masks a thousand on put to forced is father, his and and ethnic cleansing in the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia, leaving Abkhazia, of region Georgian in the breakaway ethnic cleansing and young the of Tbilisi, capital arriving in the Georgian After behind. father his off and goes city, an alien in alone utterly feels He difficulties. encounters boy the journeybut far, isn’t village The father. his for search village to native his to zar Shataidze’s well-known works and were an instant success from first pub first from success instant an were and works well-known Shataidze’s zar films. popular extremely two they became the for basis later years lication; the In novel Both stories included in this book ( included Both stories BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 26 author’s journalistic texts. These are attempts to bring togetherthe author’s encompasseslection stories didnot, which or could not included be inthe ofbecause troubles everyday or changing the world around us. The col mother, father and child create an triangle, often eternal which falls apart gent issues as topics for discussion. In further her stories Xalways equals 3: The author tries to depict in reality her fictional own way and to ur raise city, just next door or thousands of away, from miles differentperspectives. and eventsin her world, happening illustrating facts inour inour epoch, tures, full of naturalism, and brilliantly involves her contemporary audience Nino fea with Tarkhnishvili documentary prose, writes enhanced social Translation of short story Luck, Fluck and Juck available in German. aboutview her characters. Ihave which A real story made unreal,’ says Nino Tarkhnishvili inan inter others, too. tell you I’ll about later. them on isareal story. based tale Every stories and has asmoke… These arethe characters in Theretales. my are you, as aneighbour, enjoys who eating bread andevenings, fishthe in tells locked up inapsychiatric unit. Perhaps may agod exist lives who to close woman gave who Yes, to birth earth. the she exists, I’ve such awoman, seen Iknow,all perhaps such people don’t exist. Perhaps somewhere there is a grewgirltheThen up, ate her mother and her fleshfed to her father. Or, for and fed then her his meat, minced just she because got marks bad inmaths. ably somewhere amother exists cut who throat the of her daughter’s rabbit poppies by mined Taliban. the Orperhaps Jew this has already died. Prob love with a woman of Kabul. But woman the blown has been up in a field of livingeven be inKabul on Street the of Flowers, aJew in has who fallen turned yellow by urine. Orperhaps such ajournalist doesn’t exist. He may in Peking, abeloved has who hair like his wife’s and evenaknickers gusset somewhere or other. Probably there is somewhere a man has who a beloved for I know. all The don’tcharacterstales these in exist, but mightthey do stories are‘These like no perhapsothers. Or do havethey some resemblance, notespersonal about women. catastrophes and injustices political world modern inthe and mental issues innowadays Georgia; aboutries human and beings writers; The compilation intois divided cyclesfour according themes:seven stoto of minorities, or about children with 47chromosomes, or single mothers. may discover kind of all women, strong or find weak, out aboutthe feelings havewhich had tremendous feedback from users. In her notes readers the notes written at various mostly times, as her Facebook personal statuses, system pulses.’ These texts arepersonal her notes,where whole her nervous quite harsh, sometimes soft-hearted,sometimes passionate. injustices. And in attempting to doso, she is sometimes dress directly them about misfortunes, their pains, mistakes, to reachtries to people outside circles closed and to ad or ‘intellectual’s sector’ is less interesting for author, the she not resemble texts created for readers; ‘reader’s the sector’ readers, or precise, to be to world, the for her writings do with huge and poignancy an sends relevant message to her ‘Nino Tarkhnishvili skilfully imbues her miniature texts / Sh. Iatashvili, magazine critic /literary literary poet, NINO TARKHNISHVILI Nino’s Notes Behind the News Odes –reflecting hardest and social – the author’s –the vision of Nino’s Notes - Saunje / – ------ary Awardary SABA 2016in the category Liter for time) second (for shortlisted on the day of publication and has been Nino’s Notes became an instant success Nino Tarkhnishvili’s long-awaited book ing texts by new voices from Georgia. the most sincere, brave and appeal readers and was praised asone of much controversy among Georgian stories Title on the 37th Page evoked career. Her second collection of short ously, Nino leads an active writing worked there asareporter. Simultane Radio Liberty and since then has joined the team of Radio Free Europe/ ism. years Seven ago Nino Tarkhnishvili with adegree in International Journal State University Tbilisi from graduated Georgian writer and journalist. She inBorn 1979,Nino Tarkhnishvili a is ers in Kabul. short story the 2008On Street of Flow and Sisters and the Lib.ge contest for 2011 for the essay to Ode My Brothers Award Literary Rcheulishvili Guram The Best Prose Collection. She won [email protected] [email protected] Contact: Gvantsa Jobava Rights: Intelekti Publishers Published in: 2015/Intelekti Publishers Number of pages: 142 - - - - - 27 BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 - - Number of pages: 300 pages: of Number Publishers 2014 / Intelekti in: Published Dumbadze Manana Contact: Rights, [email protected] Jemal Topuridze (1947-1978) gradu Topuridze Jemal (geog University State Tbilisi from ated various At geology faculty). and raphy hetimes worked in the Georgian and Economic Sciences’, of Academy of Institute and Institute Governance his 1974 on, From Literature. Georgian literary the in published were stories the Tsiskari, Nobati, Mnatobi, journals newspaper Writers’ of Union Georgian Georgian won He etc. Georgia, Literary Best The Prize 1978 for Union Writers’ Year. the of Story ------Dioscuria is a City at at is a City Dioscuria / A. Buachidze, writer, literary / critic writer, / A. Buachidze, / G. Arganashvili, writer, literary / critic writer, / G. Arganashvili,

Topuridze’s stories have been translated been translated have stories Topuridze’s JEMAL TOPURIDZE JEMAL , he seems to gather and merge the most significant significant the most merge and gather seems, he to Dioscuria is a City at the Bottom of the Sea of the Bottom Dioscuria at City a is retical shape and orientation in Jemal Topuridze’s work, it it work, Topuridze’s in Jemal orientation and retical shape echoes the and qualities a person’s of the uniqueness admits a had which have society, western of principles democratic schools.’ theories and psychological in creating hand to find the sense of existence. This desire subconsciously subconsciously desire This of existence. find the sense to extreme at itself shows and characters his part of forms a self-sacrificefriend.’ for complete as such situations, ofwhose thebasis ‘I’, and self-confident ‘The self-aware theo a definite finds in a personal element, solely is activity ‘Jemal Topuridze is an extremely human writer. Notably, he he Notably, writer. human extremely an is Topuridze ‘Jemal charac his saving of capable is sympathy only that knows is ex characters his towards stance own writer’s The ters. subtle pain, shows he sympathy, has He individual. tremely a hem put to hard which is also something he has but irony, is desire the This noticeable. always not which is and to Sample translation available in English. in available translation Sample Jemal Topuridze in translation / in translation Topuridze Jemal Spanish. and Russian English, into of the writer’s premature death. premature the writer’s of concrete reality of his own experiences in life. The main hero of the narra of the hero main The experiences in life. own his of reality concrete perishes tragically: in the book falls the he wheels under the author, like tive, premonition a was This somehow a car. by run was he over in life a train; of story’s main character is the author himself. Willingly or not, every not, or writer Willingly himself. the author is character main story’s co features a time when the author’s comes there but himself, about writes be seems to the talking writer and character the main those with incide of bythe affected ‘everything’deeply is This everything time. the same about at in this deeply patriarchal way of life, still untouched by the city’s way of life. life. of way the city’s by still untouched life, of way patriarchal in this deeply work, important most and final Topuridze’s Jemal In Sea the of Bottom the The narrative. his for tone the right hits effortlessly and work aspects his of a deeper layer is also important: the writer’s attitude to his own characters, characters, own his to attitude the writer’s also is important: a deeper layer describes he several stories In pain. and sympathy pure by marked which is prose Georgian of pride sensethe we characteristic here and life, provincial tated to him, ‘Write that we have a good life,’ whereas his creative answer answer creative his whereas a good life,’ have we that ‘Write him, to tated In experienced.’ I have I see what lies, I’ll and what write write shan’t ‘I was, in full Tbilisi transparency. of see we the environment stories his of many But appears. atmosphere qualities, characters, language, Every aspect its of totalitarian regime imposed on them. These were the people who opposed who the people were them. These imposed on regime totalitarian like stories, Topuridze’s Jemal of the characters and stereotypes the existing regime virtually dic totalitarian them. The among are himself, the author works, censorship, the absence of any broad arena, all mean a tragic fate for for all a tragic fate mean arena, broad any of theabsence censorship, works, a cynical developed have people Such talent. creative with endowed anyone the with up put couldn’t because their minds on, going was what to attitude which a these ‘ideological of the rules the game curtains’, or of formalism, half of the 20th century. He destroys stereotypes, harshly and unequivo and harshly stereotypes, destroys He the 20th century. half of still ex and literature, in our existed these stereotypes not, Like or cally. frame different a thousand bureaucracy, characters, Two-dimensional ist. Jemal Topuridze is one of the most anti-totalitarian writers of the second the second of writers anti-totalitarian the most of one is Topuridze Jemal BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 28 main hero of work, the to everyone’s surprise, doesn’t any choose or drug oth Guja, afairly chooses traditional form of bliss, abeautiful young but girl; the ‘bliss experts’ can provide that gives utter everything bliss. third Theirfriend, ant and studying at directing establish the faculty) an ‘office of bliss’ where the psychology student) and (working Levan theatre inthe as consult aliterary overGeorgia is last portrayed the Two decades to perfection. (a Zaza friends, of existence the inwhich Georgian post-modernism, of ordinary people in published remembered to be by critics as one of most the important examples Time Words wordlessly submit to awriter. novel the Read words’ once more light up and rebound, author’s did inthe as they lifetime. manent place inGeorgian literature and that today, after his death, his ‘silvery creationthe of world magical this Tvaradze that Zaza has established his per affinitywith aparticular them in to contemporary literature.because Itof is by liked be generation new the of readers, are who those something seeking irony mixes with melancholy and is which built on dreams. The novel will outcome of richest the and most unbridled imagination; it inwhich is abook coughed like aconsumptive have idiot teeth whose out.’ fallen of magic, he inwhich spent his life from treacherous the ‘the 1990s,when city of birth the writer, powerful the as areality. He introduces us to aworld full work, emerges he infact as main the hero and from shadow avirtual comes to back-stage althoughseems take dynamic inthe book, inthe course of the managed at same the totime create as a character self-portrait; best the Zaza the mainLevan Chqonia.is infact This hero, Leviko friend, butthewriter has and words. texts with these Tvaradze Zaza dedicated novel the to adeceased tive force atmosphere. inthe The novel’s begin to createheroes sentences new fleshy tremulous.and Wordscan fly,become swim the they and main ac ontakes aface, asmell, abody. For instance, word the ‘me’ is blood-coloured, fromescape casket. the But for from and Levan now word Zaza, on, every tains living words. words reactsto these Levan with childish fear, they incase er intoxicating (bliss-giving) substance: casket ajewel he chooses con which reminded by it of Plato’s sociations, and involves author the inagame, that so you are wordblossom, yet every initself arouses some unique as other fluttering times like butterflies.They in are liketrees along,sometimes drifting bobbing up and down, while at emitting scent the of honey, sometimes of almond milk, to emergeseem from bottom the sometimes of sea, the abouttalk sphere the of words, words novel in the which point is no ‘There recountingthe plot the of novel. just I’ll reality 1990s.’ inthe realistic and onevery of novels best the to portray Georgian – despite non-realistic novel the aspects, so-called the was terly unbridled imagination of novel’s the heroes, and on so on one hand, ajungle of words, on other the hand ut the novelthe contained elements, such as what we could call, yet it was something that meant alot to me: eventhough novel‘This was like really nothingthat else I had read, and . Afterthat, the author extended his text and afterdeath his the novel was was first published series the in Words and you understand will what it means words when ZAZA TVARADZE / M. Kharbedia, writer,/ M.Kharbedia, critic / literary / L.Shatberashvili, philosopher / Words Words Cratylus TheBest Georgian Short Novels of All sityvebi_cover.indd 1 dialogue.’ uCveulo siuJetiTgamoirCeva. `sityvebi~ saminawilisganSedgebadadaxvewilieniTa winadadebebs, arameduCveulodaSTambeWdavnawarmoebsacki. urTierTobas damaTidaxmarebiTqmnisaramxolodcalkeul wignis gmiriTandaTanswavlobshaerSimolivlivesityvebTan Tumca, isyidulobszardaxSas,romelSicsityvebiaTavmoyrili. iyidos yvelaferi,racnetarebasmianiWebs–narkotikicki. aRmoaCens ucnaurjixurs–`sanetarokantoras~,sadacSeuZlia Cveulebrivi axalgazrdakacierTdResmegobarTanerTad romanis mTavarigmiri,erTCveulebrivqalaqSimcxovrebi pirvelad ibeWdeba. gavrcobili, sruliversiaadamwerlisgardacvalebisSemdeg gamoqveyneba veRarmoaswro.winamdebaregamocema`sityvebis~ Semdegac aqtiuradmuSaobdateqstze,Tumcaaxaliredaqciis saukeTeso qarTulimcireromani~.avtoriwignisgamosvlis wels, avtorissicocxleSivegamoscaseriaSi`yveladrois `sityvebi~ bakursulakaurisgamomcemlobampirvelad2005 www.sulakauri.ge fasi 13. 90 ori poeturidaprozaulikrebuli. prozis ganyofilebisredaqtori.sicocxleSigamosca `balaveris~ mTavariredaqtoridaJurnal`arilis~ filosofia-fsiqologiis fakulteti.iyoJurnal zaza TvaraZe(1957-2007)–poeti,prozaikosi.daamTavra lari Radio Liberty Radio Liberty Words is the the is - - / / - - - - - English, French, German and Russian. short stories have been translated into the Georgian Pen Club. His verses and erary magazines and was amember of as editorial director of anumber of lit State University. From 1980he worked Hepoet. studied at psychology Tbilisi TvaradzeZaza (1957-2007),writer and [email protected] Contac: Mikheil Tsikhelashvili House Publishing Sulakauri Rights: Published in: 2009/Sulakauri Publishing House Number of pages: 280 08.04.2011 10:34:57 - 29 BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 - - - - Despite his his Despite Number of pages: 312 pages: of Number L Publishing 2011 / Palitra in: Published Amaglobeli Rati Rights: Contact: Tinatin Asatiani [email protected] and Brodsky into Georgian. into Brodsky and Born in 1977, Rati Amaglobeli studied studied Amaglobeli Rati 1977, Born in His University. State Tbilisi at philosophy an became Verb collection poetry debut successinstant throughout the country. performances, live his for is famous Rati contem of a star him made have which a welcome and Georgia in poetry porary fes literary international various at guest the was 2005-2010 Amaglobeli In tivals. History ‘The programme a literary of host Broad Public Georgian the at Voices’ of edi as the worked he Later Radio. casting Chocolate Hot journal popular the of tor president the been has 2011, he since and is cofounder He Pen-Centre. Georgian of ­ SABA. Avard Literary of run to seems poetry author’s the youth, tendencies. present to counter Morgenstern, Goethe, translated also He Akhmatova Tsvetaeva, Rilke, Nietzshe, - / - - - An Ode to the the Ode to An

At the time of publication publication the time of At Poetry International Rotterdam International Poetry If.

/ Sh. Iatashvili, poet, literary / critic Iatashvili, / Sh. and

– or, as it is often called, often is it as or, – Amaglobeli’s poems have been published been published poems have Amaglobeli’s

Sequentia Sequentia Verb, The Circle Circle The Verb, col different three selected from verses includes RATI AMAGLOBELI RATI Collection Poems of , in which all the letters of the alphabet are employed and woven woven and employed are the alphabet of , in which all the letters / Ingrid Degraeve, translator / source: / source: Degraeve, translator / Ingrid ‘Rati Amaglobeli is the dervish of contemporary Georgian po Georgian the dervish is Amaglobeli contemporary ‘Rati of the Mostly, feel. incantatory an poems have sonorous His etry. Admittedly, sounds. two or one around a spiral in swirl words meaning, between and sound this poet the borderline tries out sound. a poem mere to reduce to goes as so never he far but is an example of such a stance. You can sense in his texts that that sense texts can in his You a stance. such of example an is literatures, western of experienced and plenty read has he mediae (using archaicism – ornamentation, their form but allitera frequent etc.), quotation, approximate val Georgian, of a poetus face the shows versification‚ idiosyncratic tion, type.’ oriental an of ‘Today, when poetry or type more becoming is a western of ‘Today, traditions oriental to poetry according standard less created Rati Amaglobeli aesthetic renewal. of a means become may Rati Amaglobeli in translation / AmaglobeliRati in translation 2016); Germany Publications, them: UK (Arc among in several anthologies 2015). Verlag, (Pop into the fabric of the poem. of the fabric into his poems, but the essence and idea are never less important. This collection This important. less never idea are the and essence poems,his but poem iconic his includes Alphabet author on the contemporary Georgian Poetry scene. His poetry Poetry Georgian His scene. invariably the contemporary on author forms other of and the rules thewith sonnet of play to likes and rhymes perfectly with harmonised words, archaic from shy does not He verses. of for seeking in forms inventive extremely is He issues. very contemporary lections by the author: the author: by lections and literary career Ratiin Amaglobeli’s crucial a role collectioneach played young by a production poetic influential and a significant as regarded was The collection The Poems of (Though not spoken, thought over or written) or over thought spoken, not (Though (...) night at things cleaning arranging, was She Only way, narrow way and it means it and way narrow way, Only entrails. and own depth your into free you letting I am Golgotha, after home returned Mary Holy probably and away faded has evening Crucifixion My lakes dried out, have no tears – tears no have out, dried lakes My tears without free you Letting naked with inhale, every with exhale, you I love your on free you I let and awake sleep, painful I am letting you free... the world is vast, I am not frightening you – you frightening not I am is vast, world the free... you letting I am Sun. and sky the under reborn be to you for free you Letting night agate – I said, free you letting but you, at pointing Not LETTING YOU FREE LETTING YOU BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 30 guage games, and extend they into definite forms of interplay of examples of ideas. his such case, on linguistictake quality the devices of something greater than lan performances,literary mixing together various paradigms, contexts and texts. In noeuvre freely invarious strata of language and thus stage remarkable and artistic great hermeneutic and informational knowledge, is which why he is able to ma maywhich have hitherto to The alien them. been author has at hisa command entirely world new that imbues readers with impressions and motivations for life mind, alightness not does which put up with irony or sarcasm have created an phenomenon inGeorgian literature. voice, Adistinguished poetic asharp-witted which poetry The TarielChanturia writing been has for many years is a special as far asyour memory can keep it, over the age of thirty-one The Teachers the adolescents are using mud children are throwing snowballs at each other, (a bad choice) The Neighbouring Every single game!’ grandmaster ‘The has won sixOn and ahalf billion boards: a session of games simultaneously out carrying is God GOD THEGRANDMASTER (Pop Verlag, 2015). in anthologies and countries magazines inseveral among Germany them: Tariel Chanturia intranslation / always attractive and interesting for people of any taste and any age. is invariably up-to-date, young inattitude of andwhy This soulfulness. is full it is time, it is accessible to recipients which of of sorts background. all poetry This is differentlayers in it: his work is meant for an intellectual reader and, same the at and of use the slang forms. Tariel Chanturia’s poetry’s universality is aresult of the An effective use of a limited lexical resource typicalis of him, as is minimalism brilliant concept and combination: sounds with echoes.’ their and them reaction between thus create acompletely new, unique talent and manages mastery to induce achemical out from it at random afew of things and these by using his abstraction, paradigms and contexts. Tariel Chanturia picks with words filled drum thatand objects exist in space or in ‘It with is agigantic faced is as poet lottery-ticket ifthe he creates ofeverything light is full and life, wit and humour.’ study it, more the elusive it becomes. But one thing is certain: define, it slips out of your hands like a fish, theand more you or an architect inrhythm? It is hard to say. His verse is hard to paradoxes, king the of experimentation, amagician inrhyme, literature. Who is he? –amaster of innovation, of avirtuoso ‘Tariel Chanturia figure is astriking incontemporary Georgian The Black BoxThe BlackLove of TARIEL CHANTURIA Chanturia’s have poems published been / Translation by Donald Rayfield / with his bird meat!.. Mr Noah liked to have red wine branch: olive an bringing a dove sizzles on the fire, after at aBiblical breakfast The Day, Next Flood After the then take each other’s blood pressure! raise each other’s blood pressure, An Elderly Husband and Wife of our fingers raised for the lesson… prints softest the / I.Amirkhanashvili, critic / literary / L.Doreuli, critic / literary - - Capriccio (1998),Year of Bliss 2(2002), A Writer’s Red Book (1995),Colchian (1982), Pacing Up and (1993), Down and Words (1980),Selected Poetry (1978), Longer Poems (1979),Stresses Gentle Sun (1975),AYear of Bliss Serpentine (1973),The Year of the (1970), The Two (1972),Exhausted Stone and War (1967),New Moon His basic collections are Swing (1965), slang. and grotesqueries He oftenuses irony, parody, paradox, which were much very aform of Fleeing. attention with his daring experiments, peared on the literary scene he attracted was published in 1964.When he ap in 1956.His first poetry collection Fleeing of philology, department of journalism) ated from Tbilisi State University (faculty inBorn 1932,Tariel Chanturia gradu Rustaveli State Prize. State Prize. Rustaveli tions, etc. Tariel Chanturia won Shota children’s verse, critical essays, transla etc. He has also published collections of [email protected] Contact: Gvantsa Jobava Rights: Intelekti Publishers Published in: 2016/Intelekti Publishers Number of pages: 204 - - - 31 BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 - - Number of pages: 102 pages: of Number Publishers 2015 / Intelekti in: Published Publishers Intelekti Rights: Jobava Gvantsa Contact: [email protected] 2016), Xichang-Qionghai Silk Road Road Silk 2016), Xichang-Qionghai (Xichang, week Poetry International 2016) etc. China, Born in 1966, Shota Iatashvili is a poet, is a poet, Iatashvili Shota 1966, Born in art critic. and translator writer, fiction number a significant published has He of works four collections, poetry of criticism. literary of a book and prose Literary won 2011 he 2007 and In 2009 Interna in and SABA Award LAVRY KIEVSKIE Award Poetry tional is editor-in- he Currently, (Ukraine). Akhali journal literary the of chief rubric Library the leads and Saunje has Iatashvili Shota Liberty. Radio at international numerous in part taken EST-OUEST as such festivals literary Interna 2006), Poetry (Die, France, 2007), Netherlands, (Rotterdam, tional 2008), Estonia, (Tallinn, SOTZIA 2011), France, (Val-de-Marne, BIPVAL 2012), Poland, (Lublin, Poets of Time 2009, Ukraine, (Kiev, Lavry’ ‘Kievskie - - - - - / R. Kaishauri, poet / / R. Kaishauri, / L. Kodalashvili, literary / critic / L. Kodalashvili, / Translation by Timothy Kercher / Kercher Timothy by / Translation market with its original text – text original its with market life, American from citations approved. recently just city the those done, be to wait tasks many Frankly, weakness. of out not but diligence; a steady there’s morning Every and volumes dusty the in noses their stick they jobs: never-ending their do tiles, thereplace street in accordance billboards re-paint with each holiday, signs street the hang corrected stylistically this bring finally, and, publishing. for Editor Night the to city - Iatashvili’s works have been translated into English, into been translated have works Iatashvili’s SHOTA IATASHVILI SHOTA The Bitterness of Poetic Experiences of Bitterness The sort of poetry it is, I’d say it’s, you know, Iatashviliian. Do you Do you Iatashviliian. know, you it’s, say poetrysort of I’d is, it which sunflowers, Gogh’s of? me reminds it what Van know his poetryEvery what me. to is That’s seem be to swaying. rubber. of if made as every elegant, is his and of bone joint poetry his what be seems to sitting know He Do like? is you quite sitting he’s them, or to chatting friends and among are.’ his poems what talking. and That’s alone ‘His latest collection is like an ordinary, and at the same time the same at and ordinary, an like collection is latest ‘His themes, many its which, because of diary, extraordinary an who is a ‘Neanderthal’ everyone – from to interest becan of a poetry to poetry, with furious gourmet.’ what ask to were you If poetry. wandering is Shota me, ‘For Belarusian, Estonian, Latvian, Turkish, Albanian and Azerbaijani languages. His po Azerbaijani and Albanian Turkish, Latvian, Belarusian, Estonian, 2016); UK (Krok, them: Ukraine among in several countries been published have ems 2015); Russia Verlag, 2015; Pop (Corvinus Presse, 2016); Germany Publications, (Arc 2009). (Mütercim, Centrum, 2010); Azerbaijan (Poëzie (OGI, 2014); Netherlands Shota Iatashvili in translation / in translation Iatashvili Shota Ukrainian, Polish, Chinese, Russian, Romanian, Portuguese, Dutch, German, French, like an arena for confession and profession. He will often simply tell you some you tell simply will often He profession. and confession for arena an like won you leave and the question retrieve said, has he thing,then what take back humour style of narrative a by characterised poems are Iatashvili’s dering.Shota things. at looking of way a paradoxical with saturated always and ent sides. Shota Iatashvili manages to write about everything: about money, an everything: money, about about write to manages Iatashvili sides. Shota ent tinned sea clothes, machine, blood-pressure a electricalcigarette-lighter, a plug, poetry that texts: admitting isof his characteristic most is is This what cabbage... decided on the image, the model of his poetry his in the the strive model of should which he the image, decided on for in the this model and to return time passed would he As followed. that years sometimes different, will various lead it, that to paths for intervals searches he differ from every meet demands to for has time he paths, exclusive mutually ual style by a long period of work, by trying out a variety of paths and devices. and paths tryingof a variety by period out work, a long ual of style by everything very from differently: happened Iatashvili, Shota in thecase of But sensed the 1990s, he the beginning and of at path, the very creative his start of Normally, poets achieve what is called is poets their their what individ personal poetic achieve voice, Normally, and down there, at the end of the street the of end the at there, down and but placed be should can a trash name. the street change let’s a super correlate to need we there Right read the streets line by line by line streets the read like professionals: off; it take let’s here, be not should dog this trees, two these between a newsstand add let’s paint the facades of buildings, reconnect broken cables, They start working at dawn, dawn, at working start They stylists. city and proofreaders the lawns, the mow They ON HOW A CITY HOW ON DAY EACH GETS PUBLISHED BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 32 to say’, graphic as well as devices elements of prose. everyday expressionpoetic liesand in order he uses, to communicated what he ‘has embodying he them, wants to work out where limit the to possibility the of priate form for thoughts these and He experiences. for seeks means new of ‘laboratory’ and too makes us an take immediate appro the inseeking part not only shares and with his us, thinking but experiences brings us into his asking thought-provoking questions.poet’s The thatqualitypeculiar is he arepoems like an intimate conversation sharing with reader: an the or idea opment of contemporary culture. and thinking artistic poetic Most of his Vakhtang Javakhadze important has made avery contribution to devel the (Pop Verlag, 2015). published anthologies inseveral and magazines among Germany them: Vakhtang Javakhadze intranslation / / Translation by Donald Rayfield / But don’t omit my name and surname! Leave them out forty times, leave them out sixty times… Leave out astanza and leave out aline. Leave out, when you come across them, adjectives, exact There’s no need forsubtitle. every You may occasionally sacrifice ahyperbole, You may refrain from emphasizing some refrains. Don’t pursue the accent or the pauses, Avoid reproducing the intonation. exact Don’t search for appropriate slang and epithets, Don’t example preserve every of inversion. Don’t keep count of subtexts and abbreviation signs, Take afree comparative of comparisons, view matches, and Don’t similarities imitate syntactical Decode the metaphor, too, it doesn’t matter, it can take it. If you need to, break off the line at the beginning, Don’t avoid alliteration, either. If you simplify wish, the complex rhymes, too. If you change wish, the metre too, or twice thrice. Dear sponsor, if you change wish, the rhythm. TO THETRANSLATORS OF MYPOEM work’s depth and novelty always our seizes attention.’ tang Javakhadze. He is an seeker, eternal and that is why his strength, among make who evaluation this those is Vakh process andpoetic we say that for we this have sufficient an effort, we wantbecome participantsto ina European level not just of poetry, but of literature. modern If we make ‘Vakhtang Javakhadze is one of writers those the defines who complex and easy, thoughtful at and alert same the time.’ coil around the being idea, imagery cal poetic an unexpected was instantlystyle recognizable he because would spin his lyri was effortless,withoutmastery achieved toil or exertion. His readers had impression the he was amature writer, as ifhis ‘When Vakhtang Javakhadze first published his poems, his VAKHTANG JAVAKHADZE 100 Poems / R. Chkheidze, writer, Chkheidze, /R. critic / literary Javakhadze’s have poems been / D. Tserediani, translator poet, / - - - - (1988, 2002,2007,2013). tanguri (2012)and The Unknown You (1989), 2002 Lines (2002), Vakh Regards to the Tell Sea (1988), I’ll son (1980), And On (1983), My So Heron Triangle (1978), Compari Suns (1968), The Seventh (1974), The Washed Street (1962), AThousand books: Beloved Winds (1959), Rain- school. He has published the following began writing poetry while still at the publishing house Sakartvelo. He 1980 he has been the Chief Editor of Since Sakhelgami. house publishing started working asan editor in the Tbilisi State University in 1956.He of Department Georgian Philology Javakhadze graduated the from 1932inBorn Kutaisi, Vakhtang [email protected] Contact: Gvantsa Jobava Rights: Intelekti Publishers Published in: 2008/Intelekti Publishers Number of pages: 204 - - 33 BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 - - - Number of pages: 132 132 pages: of Number Publishing 2013 / Saunje in: Published Lobzhanidze Giorgi Contact: Rights, [email protected] tions of translating oriental literature literature oriental translating of tions brilliantly has who and Georgian into the of works influential translated Lobzhanidze Giorgi world. Oriental poetry five of author is the himself collections. Born in 1974, Giorgi Lobzhanidze is is Lobzhanidze Giorgi 1974, Born in ori and translator poet, a Georgian entalist. After graduating Tbilisi State studies, oriental of (faculty University he literature) and language Arabic Semiotic of Department the at taught 1997 In University. State the of Studies Teh of University the at Iran to went he his on work to theology) of (faculty ran and Religion in project research PhD dissertation defended and Mysticism in Marry Virgin and ‘Jesus topic the on Oriental the of ishead He Qur’an’. the Georgia’s for Centre the at department House’ ‘Caucasian Relations Cultural Islamic of Centre the of head and is Lobzhanidze Giorgi Today Culture. of generation a new of as one regarded distinguished translators, a man who tradi has established not abandoned - - - - - / G. Lomidze, literary / critic / G. Lomidze, / Sh. Iatashvili, poet, literary / critic Iatashvili, / Sh. which he wrote a few years ago, ago, years a few wrote which he / Translation by Ana Kopaliani Kopaliani Ana by / Translation / Kercher Timothy and maybe we’ll never meet again… meet never we’ll maybe lips, the on right bitterly me Kiss tongue, your with body whole my consider rush this, don’t feature, un-kissed a single leave don’t rib, a single dust to will turn body this tomorrow because (...) eyes… these will take wind the and Lobzhanidze’s poems have been pub poems have Lobzhanidze’s A Teacher of Arabic of A Teacher GIORGI LOBZHANIDZE GIORGI A Teacher of Arabic of A Teacher case of youthful radicalism summoned up by enthusiasm; it is it enthusiasm; by up radicalism summoned youthful case of a poet maturity.’ of reached who has the protest changed a great deal recently. His thinking has become more more thinking become has His deal recently. a great changed oriental in an be to decorative inclined was he earlier radical. If It of intensity. sort a different discovered has he recently way, be that may period that after trust me, but love, with a poemor saturated ‘anti-politically radical and even more become poemshis have the first this not is that stress I should Nevertheless, correct’. ordinary things are presented to us under an extraordinary an under us to presented are things ordinary the suicide lyrics or love of the conventions of a parody veil, an into transformed act are a terrorist and woman a Shahid of of love.’ representation aesthetic uplifting has work his and consistent, and ordered is Lobzhanidze ‘Giorgi ‘In his time, John Keats pointed out precisely that the imagina that precisely out pointed Keats John time, his ‘In aesthetic significance: found which reality by a sphere was tion he – dream Adam’s to be compared may ‘The imagination phenomenon this sort of by is It truth.’ it found and awoke poetry Lobzhanidze’s Giorgi of cases many define can we that found is the everyday poeticised is where the romantic or poetry, becomes drama family prosaic a in the unromantic: and never again manage to reunite, to manage again never and smoke, like will risewe skyward around, scattered will be we knows, who and we will not exist in the morning; the in exist will not we task, our us will carry of out both ends opposite on scattered will be we city large this of SHAHADA bitterly, me Kiss Giorgi LobzhanidzeGiorgi / in translation 2015). Verlag, (Pop them: Germany among in severallished anthologies perceptions which the author himself has and which he is then busy proving in proving then busy is which he and has himself which the author perceptions meta a neat or explanation a short out’ ‘throws rarely He another. or way one in which thework a work, own author’s of the re-evaluation The is a book phor. each other. reveal to come coexist and worlds the imagined and material Giorgi Lobzhanidze’s poems can rarely be broken down into parts. It is hard to hard is parts. It into down be broken poems rarely can Lobzhanidze’s Giorgi a narra up be generally breaking would him, because we select quote to lines, views,the ideas,about or story, life a person’s about is either narrative The tive. poetic thinking and intellectual experience all together creates his poetry, which poetry, his poetic experience creates all intellectual thinking together and and varied multi-coloured, deep, at time the same but modest is sight first at and charm to the ability has It elements. pathetic any free from contemporary, our epoch. of spirit of the the best reflection are verses his for the reader, involve perimental poetic means: he keeps to his general creative direction. His attitude attitude His direction. creative general his perimental to poetic keeps he means: touches, sadcharacteristic by expressed is beauty, its and brutality its with life, to deep vocabulary, rich A features. parodied even sometimes fusedironical, with The author, in spite of his questing nature, does not apply any cutting-edge ex cutting-edge any apply doesnot nature, questing of his spite in author, The BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 34 ness and alittle irony create individual phantasmagoric avery reality. verses aunique characteristic. turns, Short alittle phrases, unexpected sad to match content with rhymes the perfectly and accents and thus give his topics, poetic he alwaysalised manages some to lightness fuse and irony, lows us to discover Gaga Nakhutsrishvili’s voice: into real poetic his ide Rhymes with Libres Summer Nights, Strophe, Old Fashion Vers Libres, Vers Libres of Dreams, Vers accordingdivided and to style, form mood into six cycles: collection poetry The Who was inventing foolish tales, And I’m not the first or the last, I don’t empty or refill anything, And the cozy evening settling is outside. I sit alone in my cozy house I don’t want to defame anything, I don’t disclose anything, nor judge, To just look at the empty sky. To not fall in love with anyone, was to drink, I have already drunk what there To not change anything, To turn the Earth upside down. Where the is give axis, me the axis And whom can Iseduce with aword, I don’t denounce anything or defy THE EARTH UPSIDE DOWN amonggies UK(Arc them: Publications, 2016);Germany (Pop Verlag, 2015). lated into French, Slovenian, English German, and published antholo inseveral Nakhutsrishvili in translationGaga / can see it.can That see why exist.’is poets downdeep inside there this is poetry. Simply, not everybody are ill-tempered, some are angry. This isn’t reality.poetic But lives, moving about, keeping some are busy; tired of it. Some manticism significant. is especially People are living their own our absolutely pragmatic world. that And Ithink today ro ‘Gaga Nakhutsrishvili to last seems me the Romantic to be in returning to author’s the rails...’ membering things from my own life, Ihave then again been crossing from author’s the rails onto my own rails and re that reason, personally, on reading Ihave book, this been contrary,the what we come across is something familiar. For light. The author is notseeking anythingquite extraordinary; becomes grave,mood and to begins show then flashes of what excessive. Theresort is a sad simplicityof whichthe in ‘I would say that here naiveties the and complaints are some GAGA NAKHUTSRISHVILI . Each cycle or cycle . Each chapter consists of ten verses. Strophe

includes 60 poems. The whole The collection is 60poems. includes Strophe Nakhutsrishvili’s have poems trans been and Maia Nakhutsrishvili / / Translation by David Gabunia To turn the Earth upside down. Where’s the gone, axis give me the axis, And do not to wish tempt myself, I don’t denounce anything, or defy Who believed in magical birds. / Sh. Iatashvili, critic / literary poet, / R. Kartvelishvili,/ R. writer / Without Title, Strophe - - al ------poetic language and images. Gaga Na unexpected and on the same time rich thesurprise reader with his sincere, publishes new works and continues to tive poets of his generation: he actively regardedis asone of the most produc Theatre in Tbilisi. Gaga Nakhutsrishvili Mouu, which was staged in the Sardapi author of well-known marionette play early 2000s.Gaga Nakhutsrishvili co- is Vina, Medana and in Goriška Brda in appeared in the book Poezije Dnevi in his poems, translated into Slovenian, numerous poetry collections; some of in Perugia, Italy. He the is author of Germany and took classes in literature at the Rothenburg Goethe Institute, majoring in history. Later he studied State University, Tbilisi from graduated inBorn 1971,Gaga Nakhutsrishvili Expectations. CollectionPoetry for Departure and SABA 2003in the category The Best Nakhutsrishvili received Literary Award the Ilia State University, Tbilisi. Gaga khutsrishvili still works asalecturer at [email protected] Rights, Contact: Gaga Nakhutsrishvili Published in: 2013/Siesta Publishing Number of pages: 66 - - 35 BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 - - - Number of pages: 60 pages: of Number Publishers 2015 / Diogene in: Published Publishers Diogene Rights: Zaza Shengelia Contact: [email protected] Are Allowed and Literary Award SABA SABA Award Literary and Allowed Are times Both Film. Negative the 2010 for of Collection Best The category the in the Year. Born in 1971, Zviad Ratiani is a poet is a poet Ratiani Zviad 1971, Born in a been has Ratiani translator. and contributor on the Georgian literary has 1992. He since scene publishing has and collections poetry six published on intensively worked time same the at German and English of translations transla numerous his Among poetry. to introduced has Ratiani Zviad tions as work major such readers Georgian Pound, Ezra Eliot, T.S. of poetry the Rilke, Rainer-Maria Lowell, Robert Paul and Strand Mark Walcott, Derek the received Ratiani Celan for Celan: won 1999. He Prize in Institute Goethe them among awards, and prizes several Cul of LITERA Prize 2016 (Ministry Geor of Protection Monument and ture Georgia) of House Writer’s the gia and You Only collection poetry last his for ------Only You are are You Only P. Shamugia, poet / Shamugia, P. / Sh. Gagarin, poet Gagarin, / Sh. / /

I’ll never allow myself to notice your your notice to myself allow I’ll never imperfections each confused become you’ll that fear in time mine. with smile your match you afraid: be Don’t together. old grow won’t We / Kercher Timothy by / Translation

Ratiani’s poems have been translated into into been translated poems have Ratiani’s

ZVIAD RATIANI ZVIAD

is Zviad Ratiani’s sixth collection of poetry. He is a is He poetry. sixth collection of Ratiani’s Zviad is Only You are Allowed are You Only

we finally see Zviad Ratiani freed. I can say without without Zviad I say can freed. finally Ratiani see we

personalised intimate world around him and, naturally, he is he naturally, him and, around world personalised intimate Geor link of the can renewal we whom to person the only this that I feel a new word; brought who has poetry, gian book will new.’ be something the start of last seconds before this wave engulfs everything around.’ everything engulfs this around.’ wave before seconds last boundary he of not walked a tightrope, always ‘Zviad the collection In free verse. and conventional Allowed a create to talent amazing has Ratiani Zviad that reservation ‘In every poem by Zviad, one can find a melancholy, but a but melancholy, a find can one every poem Zviad, ‘In by never or to trieswhich evade melancholy, of sort different observing the a huge seashore, at standing like is It escape. no is there realise that start to when you approaching wave, the only and inevitable is the end that escape to, to place your of the beauty enjoy and stay to just do is can you thing Don’t be afraid: be Don’t flat surface; your over cross I’ll never glass; mirror the off you peel I’ll never features. your even recall I can’t This drop of blood of drop This blossoming on lather us together— bring never Will afraid. be Don’t Don’ be afraid: be Don’ myself recognize I’ll never you. in SHAVING mirror) the in own face my (to guages and published in several anthologies among them: Germany (Corvi them: Germany among in several anthologies published and guages 2015). Verlag, 2015; Pop Presse, nus Zviad Ratiani in translation / in translation Ratiani Zviad lan Latvian Ukrainian, Azerbaijani, Russian, German, French, English, horizon of his view. his of horizon for Ratiani’s work, but his output cannot be entirely consigned to the 1990s. to consigned be entirely cannot output his but work, Ratiani’s for somehow harsher, be The can poetry elsewhere. rougher, is of 1990s the It poetry intimate, more is Ratiani’s Zviad whereas conception, its in simple by wider the distinguished complex, all, above and, softer sometimes and sonal, sole and integrated signature. But this collection is entirely in free this collection entirely is But signature. integrated sole and sonal, a trulysurprising minimalist poetry, collection This also contains verse. period the characteristic the true 1990s are is that It work. his aspect for whole image, what he wants to depict with his words and not the word itself itself the word not and words his with depict to wants he what image, whole to opportunity an imagination readers’ give always verses his therefore and writ successfully poeta is Ratiani always who has them. Zviad reinterpret Both free verse. as bear per well his as poetryten convention follows that very bold poet in form and content, not afraid to experiment with well es well with experiment to afraid not very content, bold poet and in form seek always forms, traditional using and, poetic Georgian forms tablished is the main point the for Ratiani Often writing. of new way own his ing Only You are Allowed are You Only BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 36 I chase them down and to each one, I look up –drops like mini-megaphones. it gets worse in the throng’s midst. A crowd tramples my lips – I can’t lift it, can’tgrip it. like awounded wing –clumsy me – My smile thrown is down A lunatic poem started asaprotest. Those at the end are children, like rhymes. set down adifferent order. Now, the storm has arranged the insane, NOW, THESTORM HAS ARRANGED THEINSANE bearable burden. Maia Sarishvili brilliantly manages to overturn tradition at that same symbol the time of achild turns into apunishment and an un reflectionshood andwiththe has to deal responsibility of motherhood and simultaneously, namely awoman surrounded is who still by her own child and blessing. Often,the protagonist is presented as a mother and a child phenomenon the said to cancollection be be of children –an curse eternal throughof amicroscope. life, everyday The observed main leitmotif the of like and acatalogue seems of actions, madnessjects the and thus her poetry breath. The authoreverydaywith subjects deals by referring to concrete ob Maia Sarishvili writes short, evocative verses that inone cover everything Russia 2014);Netherlands (OGI, (Poëzie 2010). Centrum, rishvili’s Smockadoll Förlag, poems, 2015);Germany Presse, (Corvinus 2015); Publications, Publishing, 2016;Boutle 2016); Sweden of Maia (Collection Sa many languages and published anthologies inseveral among UK(Arc them: Maia intranslation Sarishvili / soundnew into Georgian poetry. of directness, their physicality and psychological force, have introduced a andsense voice. Maia Sarishvili’s workwith images is suffused that, because traditionalthose stereotypes and demolish with them her unique literary and significant itthat is very poetry female author manages to revolt against sion. Generally, such harsh sensitive reflections are unfamiliarGeorgian to establishedally concept of motherhood, and inver suggests some poetic blazes through atrail tensions the of life everyday and chaos.’ of poetry, however, subdues reality poet the inher verses. This lifewhich would flypast at an unimaginable By means speed. reality, outside bounds the of poetry, would like apath be on world gives means the to stop and For think. Maia Sarishvili Sarishvili wraps reality into alinguistic membrane. Her poetic ‘In event, her depiction of and object every action Maia ing and but sense, on other the hand, much intelligence.’ so time. Her are poems naked, containing so much naked feel and over again, something is happening else inside me each Wheneverthem. Itouch them, whenever Iread over them ficient, and somehowsomething always is happening inside ‘Her are poems like Rilke’s MAIA SARISHVILI Microscope Sarishvili’s have poems translated been into Duino Nene Giorgadze / / Translation by Timothy Kercher and to make Godbetter hear my prayers… and clumsily climbed up on the table I foolishly rose when my mother was dying time asachild, in apacked-out house where, once upon a And Iremember the sticky stage It’s odd. Not asingle drop lingers with me. read my poems.

Elegies . Somehow self-suf / I. Degraeve, translator/ I.Degraeve, /

/ Z. Ratiani, poet / / Z.Ratiani, poet ------International (Rotterdam, Netherlands, Poetry including festivals, international tions. She has taken part in numerous Plume, Guernica and other publica Nashville Review, Asheville Review, in Crazy Horse, Versal, Quiddity, competition. Her work has appeared 1997 at aGeorgian-German radio-play won for aprize the best radio play in Her radio play Three Buckets of Snow collections and radio plays for children. Maia Sarishvili has published poetry for the nature and power of woman. she refashions in her spiritual search ing arealistic and concrete touch that new sound in Georgian poetry, display children, surprises audiences with her at aprimary school. Amother of four studied pedagogy and currently teaches inBorn 1968,Maia Sarishvili for Microscope. category The Best Poetry Collection won Literary Award SABA 2008in the de Mateus, 2007).Maia Sarishvili were translated into Portuguese (Casa translators’ seminar, where her poems 2011) and was invited to Portugal, to a 2008), Poetry Parnassus (London, UK, 2007), SOTZIA (Tallinn, Estonia, [email protected] Contact: Ingrid Degraeve Rights: Maia Sarishvili Published in: 2007/Link Publishing Number of pages: 80 - - 37 BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 - - - Number of pages: 96 pages: of Number Publishers 2014 / Intelekti in: Published Publishers Intelekti Rights: Jobava Gvantsa Contact: [email protected] Georgian Pen Centre. His poetry collec poetry His Centre. Pen Georgian Literary another won Schizosociety tion made thus 2014 and SABA Award ShamugiaPaata the first contemporary pres win twice this to Georgia in poet category. same the in award tigious Born in 1983, in Abkhazia (Georgia), (Georgia), Abkhazia in 1983, Born in ShamugiaPaata graduated from Tbilisi philology). of (faculty University State (a wordplay Anti-Tqaosani book His onthe famous Georgian medieval epic Skin) Panther’s in Knight The poem sev for and controversy much provoked the in discussed widely was months eral boldly was as it TV, and press Georgian most issuetaking with the country’s 2011 Paata In text. literary prominent Award Literary received Shamugia Poetry Best The category the in SABA 2012 In Akathistos. his for Collection named Chocolate Hot art magazine the he Currently Year. the of Person him magazine the for editor as an works critical and reviews writes and Liberali Shamugia 2011 Paata Since essays. of web-editor and a member been has - / E. Kevanishvili, poet / / E. Kevanishvili, / M. Kharbedia, writer, literary / critic / M. Kharbedia, writer, / Translation by Nino Gagua / Gagua Nino by / Translation I will let a cute dog dog a cute I will let effectiveness more for poem the Into devotion, of symbol a common (It’s emotions) positive influences all, after And answer, an be to doomed will be poem the And eyewitness as an as trusty be To poetry the be shall give shall I evidence The The whole poetrythebut poetryand nothing asked: still when But writing? I keep do Why abyss humpback the at stare I fearfully body. my and mark question the Between Totality of calmness Totality Shamugia’s poems have been translated been translated poems have Shamugia’s Schizosociety PAATA SHAMUGIA PAATA poems so full of bitter irony.’ poems so full bitter of which goes up and down, up and down: it increases.’ it down: and up down, and which goes up poet, his that a reader’s is Paata be really that said can ‘It poetry somebody: to addressed is recognise the people I can poetic and exegeses prayers, Shamugia’s Paata whom for so-called his as well as philosophical written, are precepts ‘For me Paata is – I don’t want to use the word project – but he – but project usethe to word want – I don’t is Paata me ‘For a by moving is he began, and he as continues He a project. is poetry in his I can now, For upwards. progression, geometrical or, anything, into allying or calming down detect sign no of a cardiogram like isn’t It emphasis. in his a reduction say, let’s of a beautiful landscape aof beautiful mall green the in tottering Infants Calmness answerer simultaneously simultaneously answerer mine of poem next the I hope a description with start Will Thus, I write because I have no answer: no I have because I write Thus, - question this on answer an be could This obliqueAn stone thrown the and questioner the of garden the Into I never have the answer though answer the have I never answer no I have when always And I write. WHY DO I WRITE? question this ask I often into English, Russian, French, Turkish, German and publshied in several publshied German and Turkish, French, Russian, English, into 2015). Verlag, (Pop them: Germany among anthologies Paata Shamugia in translation / in translation Shamugia Paata of literature. Or Paata Shamugia considers shock front he point of view of a view of of point he front shock considers Shamugia Or Paata literature. of himself. artist a shock as not apart, standing man book is fundamentally different from the output of other shock shock other and poets,of output the from different book fundamentally is atti his and reality, on dependence of his lies in depth the the difference an is shock him poets. the shock For from divergence fundamental tude’s in the history be found which may something and discovery, for instrument and re-actualisation in the field of contemporary artistic and linguistic concepts, linguistic artisticand contemporary of the in field re-actualisation and falsification. and of stylisticmethodsparody to resorts often the author this books periodically provoke, Shamugia’s which Paata the uproar Despite become paid-up members of Schizosociety. Schizosociety. of members paid-up become how understand lets one that poems his in a way into come themes Philosophical these themes endow to manages thus them and into gone has the author deeply representation for thinking and certain historical theses of For artistic with life. epithets, broad hyperboles and all-embracing allegories, Paata Shamugia is is Shamugia Paata allegories, all-embracing and hyperboles broad epithets, skilfully the tragic. with the Readers comical out will mixing find a master, collection and imagery style his when and they the present read about more Fond of experimenting with language, always seeking fresh metaphors, neat neat metaphors, seeking fresh always language, with experimenting of Fond BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016 38 the mostthe far-fetched metaphor is perceived by reader the natural. to be Today The mainvirtue of Sturua’sthat is so it is utterlypoetry sincerelywritten, that even reproaches,like ideological have these somewhat been belated ‘aesthetic’ rebukes. traordinary metaphor, another reason why Sturua But criticised. Lia has been un determine what she writes. Thebehindher all structure world, however, is ex of choosing blindly to imitate foreigners and letting her desire to appear original afterpersistencegreat criticism. poetic Many and undeserved have her accused and inseparably But aGeorgian poet. to achieve has this only become possible haswhich its origins in our early hymnography, and she has become organically showing Sturua of intoLia made verse, amastery free her entry Georgian poetry with algae-hair depression of out I, who walk on the bottom after Ibecome lighter by one sea, forceI will myself to put on airs what bitterness! salt eating up my bitten finger nails, under the command of atear, I think about it What spot they will drive anail into? Who be will willing to murder them? of waves! when Iattempt to give birth to acouple Such panic to fertilize in an ordinary bed? thatOr such tremendous volume possible is I am pregnant with the sea, believe man any Will WILL ANYMANBELIEVE among Publishers, UK(Boutle them: 2016);Germany (Pop Verlag, 2015). French,German, English, Finnish and published anthologies inseveral Sturua intranslationLia / sonnet,sical but we sonnets aesthetically can as these ‘modern identify sonnets’. distinguishing feature of is cycle that this it faithfully keeps to form the of clas the example is of acycle The sonnets,included poems. is which also inher selected Sturua agreatLia is also craftswoman inconventional forms. The moststriking on development the is now undeniable. of Georgian We poetry should note that asshe amonolithic is seen figureGeorgian in literary space, and her influence for an entire often film, withandfilled I joy am very andenvy.’ andher imagery metaphors of content full is so that it is enough arousedtime my constant interest. Quite frankly, power the of indifferent freeto her Quiteverse. the contrary, it has for along ‘My delight at Sturua’s Lia not sonnets does mean at that all Iam living verse, inthis entrapped actually verse’… inthis ofpersonwhothe defines her which is verse is which crucial, and verse, free but for me, personally, it is internal the freedom Lia’s poetry. At first sight, poems show her disoriented rhyme ‘Landscape of Sounds’, regarded can which be as basis of the ‘Voices from Sturua’s Lia create poems what we a might call

Selected PoemsSelected

LIA STURUA

Sturua’s have poems translated been into

and Timothy Kercher / /Translation by Dalila Gogia directly, on the surgery table. even from my heart of giving birth to sea waves possibility the with along leaving fear of myself the huge and predatory spaces I got him to see glasses of water thinks about the ocean, Just asthe aquarium with just afew I made him realize this! for whom Imgrateful and in return give the sea! who spared the last fire for me, But what about children, or that man Nobody has ever seen my aggression! it strangle will if it wraps around neck. and with such an active tongue / R. Esadze, film director, film Esadze, / R. / poet

/ O. Chiladze, writer /

- - -

and articles. In 1997aNorwegian In addition she has published essays Ate the Vine? (anovel of perceptions). Silence, Stone Dropped in Milk, What Happy including: collections prose fine Lia Sturua has published anumber of other twelve books. As well aspoetry, City was published in 1962,followed by first collection of poems Trees in the ant at Galaktion Tabidze Museum. Her 1999 she has been aliterature consult Institute for Georgian Literature. Since research-worker at Shota Rustaveli and at the same time was asenior She delivered lectures at the University Colour in Galaktion Tabidze’s Poetry’. thesis onArtistic ‘The Function of faculty. In 1974she defended her PhD State University’s Tbilisi from philology inBorn 1939,Lia Sturua graduated Best Poetry Collection. Collection. Poetry Best Award SABA 2013in the category The literary prizes among them: Literary her. Lia Sturua won many awards and about film a company made television [email protected] Contact: Shengelia Zaza Rights: Diogene Publishers Published in: 2013/Diogene Publishers Number of pages: 496 - RECENT TRANSLATIONS39 BOOKS FROM GEORGIA / 2016

ARCHIL KIKODZE ARCHIL a Bird of Story The and a Man into Polish Translated Nowakowska Magdalena by Pogranicze / 2015 Poland DATO TURASHVILI DATO the USSR from Flight into English Translated Kiasashvili Maya by Mosaic Press / 2015 Canada GEORGIAN CONTEMPORARY CONTEMPORARY GEORGIAN LITERATURE into Spanish Translated Sánchez Duarte Pablo by Cultura la de Tlaxcalteca Instituto / 2015 Mexico

Spektar (Lesezeit) Allgemeine Frankfurter Frankfurter POETIC VOICES’ POETIC OF TIFLIS AND OF TIFLIS ‘FIERCELY TOUCHING’ ‘FIERCELY ITS INHABITANTS’ INHABITANTS’ ITS Deutschlandfunk ‘ATTRACTIVE IMAGE IMAGE ‘ATTRACTIVE ‘AMAZING VARIETY OF ‘AMAZING VARIETY

GOERGIAN MODERN POETRY GOERGIAN der Ferne, Aus Lyrik Georgische Neue German into Translated Hummelt Norbert by Corvinus Presse Berlin /2015 Germany TAMTA MELASHVILI TAMTA Out Counting Translated into Croatian Joler Dalibor by Com Hena / 2015 Croatia ANNA KORDZAIA- SAMADASHVILI Killed Chaika? Who German into Translated Heinze Sybilla by Schiler Hans Verlag / 2016 Germany Egypt / 2015 AKA MORCHILADZE Karabakh to Journey Translated into Arabian Magdy Mohamed by Khan Kotob Al OTAR CHILADZE OTAR Going Was A Man the RoadDown into Turkish Translated Çiloğlu Fahrettin by Yayıncılık Sanat Kültür Adam Aylak / 2015 Turkey IRAKLI SAMSONADZE Cushion The into Italian Translated by Ketevan Charkviani S.r.l. & Partner Palombi / 2015 Italy Tagesspiegel Kulturen Kulturen Zeitung Tidningen WITH DAILY WITH DAILY ‘ORIGINAL TEXTS ‘ORIGINAL TEXTS SIMULTANEOUSLY SIMULTANEOUSLY FROM GEORGIA’ FROM GEORGIA’ ‘LITERARY DISCOVERY’ DISCOVERY’ ‘LITERARY Neue Zürcher Zürcher Neue AND DARING TOPICS’ ‘THE TURBULENT NOVEL ‘THE TURBULENT by Anastasia Kamarauli, Kamarauli, Anastasia by Müller Tom Verlag) (Aufbau Blümenbar / 2015 Germany ZAZA BURCHULADZE Adibas German into Translated Kristian Carlsson Smockadoll Förlag / 2015 Sweden of Giant’s Wife Giant’s of into Swedish Translated Kobaidze, Manana by LIA LIQOKELI Poetry – Laughter by Haratischwili Nino Verlagsanstalt Frankfurter / 2016 Germany Literature Express Literature German into Translated LASHA BUGADZE LASHA GEORGIAN LITERATURE ABROAD TRANSLATION SUBSIDIES IN SUPPORT OF GEORGIAN LITERATURE BY GNBC

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