HER PERSONAL MISSION

Anara Akhundova is a writer, essayist, poet, playwright, journalist and radio presenter, who has authored several training programmes for schoolchildren and pre-schoolers together with Chelsea Young Writers Educational Centre (UK), Green Klavier Music Studio (Netherlands), Orkhan Sunday School of the Azerbaijani diaspora in Estonia. She has compiled two manuals for her own training system, Abstract Sculpting with Children and I Am a Writer. Creative Exercises For Developing Writing Skills, and is the author of the book Effective Writing. Time Management for Writers (2020) for the Reading for Children project. Anara's fifteen-years-old life journey took her far away from Azerbaijan...

Today she is a regular of numerous cultural gatherings held in Baku that bring together different people, including both creative talents and those who simply enjoy the ambience of literary salons full of thought exchanges and discussions. She also presents unusual puppet shows, inviting both children and parents to immerse in fairy tales. But in the background of every single project produced by Anara AKHUNDOVA is a literary talent, which was a starting point of our conversation.

"I have been into literature since my childhood. I remember that day clearly. The day when I realised the work of my life. I was eight years old when my father gave me a green notebook, telling me that we would use it for writing stories that we were supposed to compose together. But most of the time it was me who wrote them. Frankly, I was pretty good at putting words into phrases even at that age. And I discovered something in me at that very moment. It was followed by writing school essays, taking part in various competitions, and so on. I was trying my hand in writing poems as well. When I graduated from school I was already absolutely sure that I was going to become a writer. But it was the turbulent period of my life, as I had no idea about the format of my future. I remember the time I wanted to create thrillers that my readers would be reading excitedly. Or craving for writing fantasy or romantic novels. Anyways, I was a real genre-hopper until I found my true self."

"And when did you decide to stop genre-hopping?"

"When I was in Türkiye. I had a chance to travel with a group of pilgrims as a journalist to Demre, also known as Myra of Lycia, where St Nicholas served. I found myself in another dimension as soon as I entered the temple during the service. I was embraced with a spirituality that permeated the entire space. I saw a group of people praying as if in a daze. They were appealing to God so fervently that many of them were crying in tears. That was an atmosphere of genuine human emotion, and that's when I realised that each person had something unique inside - a pain, a prayer, a desire or a joy. I realised then the genre of my literary works, my future target audience and why I was going to write. I simply accepted the mission entrusted to me, which I had to convey to the world. I realised that my mission was to carry the light to people through my works."

"Having a mission means a certain burden..."

"Indeed, it involves a heavy duty of serving to people, like a minister. The day I was standing inside the temple, seeing all these praying people around me, I realised that I just did not have the right to write something unworthy and cheap. Whatever be the payment... I guess my personal mission on the Planet Earth has been revealed to me from above."

"But today's fast-paced life is not quite in line with the notion of mission."

"I agree. But that doesn't stop me. I realise that if I can encourage at least one of my readers, if I can share some good with them, then it's not all in vain."

"But the people are so different, versatile..."

"That's why everyone perceives my works differently. When I receive feedback from my readers, I hear so many interpretations of what I said in my books that I have not originally meant to be. But it is quite possible that I subconsciously planted certain ideas in someone's mind, which would sprout according to his or her nature."

"And what are these sprouts?"

"I feel joy and empathy when I start writing. But the feeling of joy and happiness is multifaceted. I mean it can manifest itself in different ways. I truly enjoy sort of dressing my plots into words and phrases. This process continues up until the text is proofread, e.g. when it is prepared for public readings or when it is published in a new anthology. But the most important thing for me is what my reader takes from it in the end. Of course, live interaction with an audience is important in terms of understanding the interplay between the Reader and the Word. And to see his reaction, incredible emotions. I also get written feedback, which makes me happy as an author."

"How do you react to negative comments?"

"Negativity is an absolutely normal part of creativity. The main thing is that it should be constructive and presented in a non-abusive way. I try to learn from both the criticism and negative comments to my works. Regardless of the emotional context of such comments, I try to extract a logical kernel of meaning, to understand the essence of remarks and to get something for myself."

"One of your target audiences is children."

"Why children? Because my tales are not just for adults, who should not forget their inner child. Children are an amazing part of the human community. I am always interested in interacting with them. This is part of my work. My first experience in this field was back when I was studying in Moscow, when I was responsible for organising events for children that required special attention. Inclusion is a different format, which requires certain skills and approaches. Then I spent some time in Estonia and in the Netherlands, where I received special training as an art educator. It was interesting to apply the theoretical knowledge in practice, to develop and implement various projects for children. That is why our performances in Baku are a unique opportunity to give the young audiences a chance to hear stories that will hopefully teach them something important. This thought makes me happy indeed."

"By the way, the format of your performances also includes non-traditional puppets."

"Puppets came into my life in a miraculous way. A friend of mine who is working at the Art Centre for Children in Tallinn asked me to write a Christmas fairy tale based on the sets and puppets they had. That's how the Christmas in the White City was born, which I later presented as a director in Baku with squiggle dolls. Then almost simultaneously with Christmas came another fairy tale written for the Kadriorg Art Museum, where I was working at the time. It was pure coincidence, strangely enough. Next came St Petersburg, again under conditions of working with ready-made characters. And the puppets were different everywhere: in Tallinn, these were paper puppets, human-sized puppets in the museum, and actors playing puppet characters in the Assorti Theatre. In June, we staged a play with cardboard puppets. Every new performance arouses genuine interest in both children and their parents. By the way, the latter also enjoy revealing their "inner child" during our performances, getting involved in the storytelling process."

"You are working with words, which means power."

"Putting words into phrases creates a certain format of leading a person in a certain direction. I understand the responsibility of the process. At the same time, I reserve the right to human expressions. Be it mistakes or doubts. After all, we are individual by nature. But there will always be someone we follow, albeit for a short while. And being dumb to the responsibility of this process means losing that divine spark. Sometimes the pressure is so severe that I remember being on the verge of irretrievably deleting my own handwriting just before handing it over to my publisher. So it's a test of myself as well. To be honest, doubts visit me quite often. But it's a momentary weakness, and I go out to people because it's part of my mission. By the way, being sceptical is quite normal and one of the obstacles that we must always try to overcome. After all, they accompany us throughout our life in various forms."

"What is it like living abroad for a long time?"

"I have never lost touch with Azerbaijan in the first place and always visited my native city at different intervals. I have been an active member of the Azerbaijani diaspora in Moscow, where I worked for the newspaper Azerbaijani Congress. In Tallinn, I hosted the radio programme Ochag of the Azerbaijani Cultural Centre telling the residents of the city about Azerbaijani culture, history and traditions. While in Türkiye, I also worked closely with fellow compatriots in various programmes and events. This work continued even in the Netherlands, albeit less than earlier due to the number of population in the cities where I lived at that time. But we always held meetings everywhere both with fellow Azerbaijanis and with local residents."

"Yet, your success abroad did not stop you from returning home."

"I really enjoyed learning about the cultures of different countries and peoples by living directly in an authentic environment. I was interested in learning about the mentality of those peoples, letting this knowledge in everyday, making friendships with representatives of different nationalities, regardless of whether they were natives or migrants. Then there was a moment when I sort of heard a call of my ancestral roots. Two events occurred at once that played a decisive role. The first was the 2020 global pandemic that scared me to death, a feeling I had never experienced before in my life. I was very afraid for my relatives and family members, some of whom had suffered from COVID-19. I was also afraid that I could die in a foreign land, and this was a terrifying feeling. The second event was the Second Garabagh War, which took place in the same year. When I learned about the outbreak of hostilities, received news about bombings far away from the line of contact and the overall mood in the Azerbaijani society reacting to every report, I clearly realised that I wanted to be with my people and in my country. Of course, I was still worried about my loved ones, but first and foremost, all my thoughts were with my country. Some people around me had questioned my decision to return, pointing out the danger of losing my career and the social status I had at the time. I still cannot express the feelings that motivated me then. And there were many obstacles I had to overcome in order to leave the country! That's when I first had panic attacks, to the point that I could start choking out of the blue... I could imagine some of my family members and relatives, friends and neighbours going to the front, and it was terrifying! Almost a heart attack! That's why I retuned to Azerbaijan as soon as I had a chance to do this. Unbelievable, but as soon as I stepped off the plane and out of the airport, everything that was tormenting me seemed to dissolve into the air. I felt an incredible influx of strength and support. I was at home! Surrounded by my loved ones, whom I could physically touch, giving me reassurance that, if anything happened, we were with them and for them. This was my land! And no matter what happened, even the worst, I was safe because I was in my Motherland!"

"What was your impression?"

"Frankly, I initial felt like in an indefinite state, in limbo. For the first time, I had no concrete plans. I let myself relax for a while. It was summer time and the whole family went to the sea. Our Caspian Sea, its sandy shore, a forest with wonderful smell of earth a little further gave me a lot of strength. I returned to Baku in a different mood physically, emotionally and morally... I was quite surprised with what I saw in the city - it has changed a lot both externally and internally over fifteen years. I could feel the energy that was new to me. And I liked it very much. I got to know a lot of new people and places, met interesting projects and realised that here, in Baku, I have everything that was attractive to me in emigration in countries, which became a temporary home for me . This discovery brought unspeakable joy, uniting my homeland and my aspirations in life into a single whole."

"The next thing you know, you're in the middle of a routine and you're looking for your place..."

"Later on, as I "settled in", I realised that I could bring the experience and knowledge I had picked up abroad into the cultural life of the capital. And this predetermined the further alignment, where my knowledge, education and accumulated skills were. And moreover, that they were needed here. Which was confirmed afterwards, when a good feedback was received. The first incarnation was a series of musical and literary concerts of the PoetiCo project, bringing together various poets, writers, musicians and soloists. This format enjoyed great popularity in Tallinn and was organically adopted in Baku. Inspired, I then embarked on the 'Book of Fairy Tales' project - a series of literary and creative meetings, during which I read fairy tales from around the world to children, listen to music, and then perform a creative assignment based on the stories I heard. And then, together with Sabina Shahi, I launched SANSARA, a format of literary-meditative projects in which people tend to lie down. However, there is also the option of participants sitting if they feel more comfortable doing so. Even moving around is not forbidden if the body asks for it. Such an approach allows people to experience the emotions of the musical and literary works heard more deeply. I also do creative developmental activities myself as part of the Art and Play project. In the Netherlands I have written programmes for such classes in clubs and creative centres. Apart from all that, together with my partner Anna Suleymanova, I have set up an A'n'A studio for younger children, where there are several series. One of them is about safety for children. Or "Once upon a time there was an artist" - children are introduced to Azerbaijani artists and asked to perform creative tasks. We hold puppet shows involving puppeteers, composers, artists and actors. As you can see, each project is aimed at development and brings great joy and pleasure. But most importantly, these activities resonate with people and benefit them. Which is very important to me. Because I see that I did not study, work, try myself in different spheres of chosen profession for nothing. I gained experience, I overcame certain difficulties when I was in other countries. It allows me to say that every stage with its challenges was not in vain! The baggage of knowledge, experience and skills I brought to Baku two years ago has been worthwhile. Today, I am happy to share this "treasure" with both children and adults, and it is difficult to quantify its importance. Because at the heart of it lies a deep love for the homeland and a desire to make its future stable and beautiful to the best of my ability . When one sees one's own country through the harmonious development of the people. For the sake of this you do the work of your life and this is part of my personal mission - to bring people the Light in the form of Goodness, Knowledge and Love. Through creativity. Through culture. It is important for me to make at least a small contribution to culture. It is extremely necessary to my nature. I will not boast of patriotism, I will just use the chance given to me and do my best for people living in the ancient land of Azerbaijan, for the development of a wonderful culture, so that it may flourish, also by people."