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Laman Ismayilova

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The Azerbaijan Cultural House in Prague has hosted the presentation of the newly translated book "Classic Czech Short Stories" in Azerbaijani, Azernews reports.

The initiators of the project are the book's editors: Associate Professor of the Faculty of Philosophy at Charles University, Ivana Bozděchová, and diplomat, writer Jaroslav Olša Jr.

The book was published with the support of the Czech Ministry of Culture and the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Azerbaijan. The translator, Shabnam Asadova, teaches Azerbaijani at the Sunday school of the Azerbaijan Cultural House in Prague.

The Ambassador of Azerbaijan to the Czech Republic, Yashar Aliyev, congratulated all participants of the project on the publication of the new book, emphasizing its importance in cultural diplomacy.

"It was a great honor for us to organize this presentation within the walls of our Azerbaijan Cultural House and to become acquainted with modern classics, including the legendary Martin Vopěnka," stressed the director of the Azerbaijan Cultural House, Leyla Begim.

The evening was hosted by Ivana Bozděchová. She quoted from the classics, recited poetry, and conducted short interviews with Martin Vopěnka and Julie Nováková.

In his speech, Jaroslav Olša Jr. said: "While working as an ambassador in many countries, I realized that during a mere four-year stay, the most significant step one can take in culture is to publish a book. A published book lives beyond time."

Ivana Bozděchová emphasized the historical importance of the anthology: "This is the first direct translation from Czech into Azerbaijani. Until now, Azerbaijani readers were mostly acquainted with Czech literature through translations from Russian. The editors' goal was to select exemplary works that reflect the artistic diversity and originality of Czech literature."

The anthology includes works by prominent and internationally renowned writers such as Jaroslav Hašek (1883–1923), Franz Kafka (1883–1924), and Karel Čapek (1890–1938).

Recall that the first presentation of the book took place in Baku. The presentation was attended by diplomats, public figures, members of the Azerbaijani intellectual community, scholars, journalists, and literature lovers.