The Past and The Present of Book Publishing in Kurdish Language in Syria

The Past and The Present of Book Publishing in Kurdish Language in Syria [English, , 2006]

The Past and The Present of Book Publishing in Kurdish Language in Turkey [English, , 2006]

The Past and The Present of Book Publishing in Kurdish Language in Syria

1. KURDISH WRITERS AND BOOK PRODUCTION IN SYRIA

Some Kurdish writers have written and published books in their language in Syria even under these difficult conditions. I will try to explain how this is accomplished at various stages.

1.1 An impeded mother tongue

It has been already stated that the usage of Kurdish language is hampered in different ways such as creating difficulties for education in Kurdish language in schools, for publishing books, periodicals, audio and video cassettes with songs in Kurdish, and even speaking Kurdish in institutions. (11). Publishing books and magazines in Kurdish was permitted during the French mandate but when Syria became an independent state, it started to be hampered.

CONTENTS

Contents of the research and some terms / 4
1. Kurdish writers and book production in Syria / 6
1.1 An impeded mother-tongue / 6
1.1.1 Writing in spite of regime’s pressure /6
1.2 Translators / 9
1.3 Proof-reading, pre-print, design / 9
1.4 Writers’ organizations / 9
1.5 Literature days, commemoration gatherings, contests and awards / 9

2. Book Publishing in Kurdish language in Syria / 12
2.1 The Ottoman era (until 1918) / 12
2.2 The French mandate (1920–1946) / 12
2.3 Syrian state after the French mandate (1946–2006) / 13
2.3.1 From 1946 to 1962 / 13
2.3.2 The Baath Party government (1963–2006) / 13
2.3.2.1 From 1963 to1990 / 13
2.3.2.2 From 1991 to 2000 / 13
2.3.2.3 The time of Bashar Al-Assad (the beginning of 21st century) / 15
2.3.2.3.1 After the events in Qamishli / 15
2.4 Print run and genres of the books published in Syria and Lebanon / 16
2.5 Book Annotation / 18

3. Kurdish Book Publishing in Syria and Lebanon / 19
3.1 Kurdish publishers and publishing houses / 19
3.2 Printing houses and printing / 19
3.3 Print run / 22
3.4 Book distribution and sales / 22
3.4.1 Bookshops / 22
3.4.2 Book distribution / 23
3.4.2.1 Book distribution abroad / 24
3.4.3 Sales / 25
3.4.4 Prices / 25
3.4.5 Book fairs  / 25
3.5 Copyright / 25
3.6 Piracy  / 25
3.7 ISBN / 25

4. Readers of Kurdish literature and libraries in Syria / 26
4.1 Literacy in Kurdish / 26
4.2 Libraries in Syria and Kurdish language editions / 26

5. Online book publishing / 27

6. Major problems and future development tendencies of Kurdish book publishing in Syria / 28
6.1 New tendencies in Kurdish book publishing / 28

Conclusion and recommendations / 29
Notes / 30
Sources / 33

The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of its author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Next Page Foundation

1. KURDISH WRITERS AND BOOK PRODUCTION IN SYRIA

Some Kurdish writers have written and published books in their
language in Syria even under these difficult conditions. I will try to explain
how this is accomplished at various stages.

1.1 An impeded mother tongue

It has been already stated that the usage of Kurdish language is hampered in different ways such as creating difficulties for education in Kurdish language in schools, for publishing books, periodicals, audio and video cassettes with songs in Kurdish, and even speaking Kurdish in institutions. (11). Publishing books and magazines in Kurdish was permitted during the French mandate but when Syria became an independent state, it started to be hampered.

1.1.1 Writing in spite of the regime’s pressure

The Kurd Huseyîn Huznî Mukriyanî, who was born in Eastern Kurdistan (in Iran), is the author of the first book in Kurdish published in Syria. Later Celadet Bedirxan wrote and published a few books in Kurdish in Syria in the 1930s. He is also famous for having prepared the Kurdish alphabet based on the Latin alphabet. His books were written and published in this alphabet. Until that time the Arabic alphabet had been used. The alphabet used by Celadet Bedirxan has spread to Western and Northern Kurdistan (in Syria and Turkey) and is still in use. Celadet Bedirxan published his books under the name Hawarê Library (Kitêbxana Hawarê) in Damascus in the 1930s. He also published the books of his brother Kamiran Bedirxan and some other books in Kurdish, about 10 small books altogether – collections of poems, alphabet books and religious books. Among the publications was a translation, the first translation into Kurdish published in Syria. So, the pioneers of Kurdish literature in Syria are the Bedirxan brothers. They were opposed to the Turkish government and had left Turkey due to political reasons.

The authors of the five books published in Syria in the 1940s had emigrated from Northern Kurdistan The poems of one of them – Cîgerxwîn - was distributed to Western and Northern Kurdistan, traveling from hand to hand, and they were learned by heart and copied. Thus, the works of writers who had come from Northern Kurdistan went back north again. These appealing poems inspired many people to write and read in Kurdish. A significant work published in this period is the love epos Mem û Zin written in 1695...

THE PAST AND THE PRESENT OF
BOOK PUBLISHING IN
KURDISH LANGUAGE IN SYRIA

This research had been commissioned by the
Next Page Foundation
and conducted by M. Malmisanij

2006

www.npage.org