Azernews.Az

Though a number of various researches on the history of Azerbaijani literary criticism are available, the road it has covered has not been fully and objectively researched to date. In particular, literature dating back to the People`s Republic of Azerbaijan, the first-ever secular democratic republic with Islamic population established in 1918, was blatantly distorted during the Communist rule. The new book in Azerbaijani, ``Azerbaijani literary criticism``, by renowned writer Vagif Sultanly, published in Baku this year, is of great importance for filling this gap in Azerbaijani literary studies.

Sultanly, who is known among the Azerbaijani literary community mostly as a prose writer, started his creative work late in 1970s. He has published a number of stories, narratives and novels, including ``Extinct Stars`` (1987), ``Human Sea`` (1992), ``Slave market`` (1999), ``Dream of Death`` (2002), ``Valley of Non-existence`` (2010), etc.

Sultanly`s new book aims to study and teach Azerbaijani literary criticism at the humanities departments of Azerbaijani universities. The lack of a special textbook on the subject continues to complicate the teaching of literary criticism in local educational institutions. The book researches its history from the ancient times until present day.

One of the novelties of this book is that it analyzes theoretical and aesthetic public thought of the times of People`s Republic of Azerbaijan (1918-1920) as well as literary criticism and literary studies that emerged among immigrants and in southern Azerbaijan (northern Iran).

The parts of the research that are of particular interest for the readers describe the work of such critics as Mahammad Amin Rasulzada, Ali bay Huseynzada, Ahmad bay Agaoglu, Ahmad Jafaroglu, Mirza Bala Mammadzada, Jeyhun Hajibayli and others.