Mem and Zin bookstore
Statue of Kurdish poet Abdulla Pashew unveiled in Erbil
ERBIL – A statue commemorating Abdulla Pashew, a renowned Kurdish poet, was revealed on Tuesday evening at the Mem and Zin bookstore in Erbil. Crafted by sculptor Goran Marouf, the work, made of fiberglass, took a month to complete.
In a conversation with 964media, Marouf shared insights into his creative process and the inspiration behind the homage to Pashew. “Creating a statue of Pashew marks my first foray into commemorating a person in this form. Interestingly, Pashew himself is yet to learn that he has been so honored. The realm of sculpture permits artists to pay tribute to anyone they admire, even without the subject’s awareness,” Marouf explained.
He continued, “The concept originated during my studies when we were each tasked with selecting a figure to honor. I chose Abdulla Pashew because I see a deep connection between literature and art.”
Abdulla Pashew, born in 1946 in the Berkot area of Erbil, stands as a pivotal figure in contemporary Kurdish poetry. His contributions were instrumental in founding the Kurdish Writers Union in Baghdad in 1970, and he spent a year teaching in the village of Kendal in 1971.
Pashew’s academic pursuits led him to the former Soviet Union. In 1979, he earned a master’s degree in Russian and English translation from the Moscow State Linguistic University, then known as the Maurice Thorez Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages.
He completed a Ph.D. in literature in 1984, with a focus on Kurdish poet and writer Piramerd. He taught at Al-Fateh University in Libya between 1985 and 1990 and has lived in Finland since 1995.
His literary career began with his first poem in 1963, and his inaugural poetry collection was published in 1967.
Pashew’s major works include “Tears and Blood” (1965-1967), first released in Kirkuk in 1967; “The Broken Idol” (1967-1968), published in Kirkuk in 1968; “The Night Letter of a Tired Poet” (1968-1972), first available in Baghdad in 1972; “Twelve Lessons for Children and Several Banned Poems” (1969-1973), introduced in Berlin in 1997; “Every Night I Dream of You” (1973-1979), published in Baghdad in 1980; and “Towards Twilight” (1989-2001), released in Sweden in 2001.
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