"I HOPE PAPER BOOKS CONTINUE TO SERVE MANKIND..."

Cingiz Abdullayev's first book - the novel "Blue Angels" - was published in early 1988 in Baku by the Yazici publishing house with a print run of 30,000 copies. This novel was banned from publication and was kept in KGB archives and the publishing house for more than three years, as it allegedly contained information considered to be confidential. Now Cingiz Abdullayev is a doctor of law and secretary of the Writers' Union of Azerbaijan. His novels have been translated into nearly 30 languages, with a total print run of more than 20 million copies worldwide.

At one time he carried out overseas assignments for the Ministry of Defence and led a special purposes section. He worked in Belgium, Germany, Poland, Romania, Angola and Afghanistan. Few people know that in 1989 Abdullayev was expelled from Romania on charges of involvement in the shooting of Ceausescu. It turned out that he knew all the details of the incident, although he was not directly involved in it. In Namibia, he participated in a major operation to free captured Angolan officers. Only four people returned alive from the operation. Thus he knows very well the price of blood and life. It is no wonder that the US magazine Christian Science Monitor called him one of the best contemporary writers in the political detective genre. Today, Cingiz Abdullayev answers questions from R+.

- Mr Abdullayev, you graduated from the faculty of law and became a writer. What prompted you to leave government service and take up writing?

- You can say it was fate. But in reality, everything is much more prosaic and simple. I started writing books while I worked in the party overseeing administrative authorities and, at some point, when I was promoted to the Central Committee, they decided to appoint me secretary of the Writers' Union of Azerbaijan. I was only too glad of such a change and figured it wouldn't last long. I thought I would return to public service. But you know what happened - "Black January" in 1990, the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991 and Xocali in 1992. In such circumstances, there was nowhere to return to and I did not really want to.

- In the autumn of last year, your latest book, "The Altar of Victory", saw the light of day. Who was the "prototype" of the detective story's main character Fizuli Huseynov?

- In fact, since the "Altar of Victory", "The Protracted Epilogue" and "Death to Applause" have been published. I've published many new books. I take my characters from specific people. I can name some of them, but can't name others. Some people recognize themselves and take offence. For example, one of my closest friends was offended when I wrote that his father was a colonel in the KGB, while he was actually a general. "Why did you demote my dad?" my friend asked.

- How do you find plots for your novels?

- In life. Sometimes such incredible things happen that even the most imaginative writer could not invent them. For example, the tragic events of 11 September. Who could imagine that in America someone would seize several airliners and destroy both towers of the World Trade Centre? By the way, I loved to dine at their restaurant on the top floor and often visited there. Life is so unpredictable and interesting that no author can keep up with it.

- Your Drongo is often associated with his author. Nevertheless, he is a kind of idealized character. What traits of your character would you like to possess?

- I hope people like him. But I don't think he's so idealized. Like almost all men, he's sometimes unfaithful to his wife, doesn't swim very well, doesn't like driving and hates flying. I'd like to be as clever, insightful and communicative as he is, and to be liked by women. Sometimes I am jealous that people like him more than his author. It's terribly annoying...

- Do you have time to read? What genre of literature do you prefer? Which author do you think can be called a genius?

- I'm primarily a reader. I have loved to read since childhood. Teachers took away my books during lessons. I love American fiction of the 1960s most of all. A whole constellation of brilliant writers appeared then. Bradbury, Asimov, Sheckley, Simak, Anderson - a love for life. And I'm not original in my choice of authors. Of course, Shakespeare. He's an absolute genius for me. Also, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Dickens and Balzac. Although they no longer need any assessment. They're simply genius! And, of course, Dumas p?re. He's one of the most brilliant storytellers of all time.

- There are books that everyone must read. What stories would you personally advise young people to read?

- Of course, "Robinson Crusoe", "The Adventures of Gulliver", "Treasure Island", "Don Quixote", the books of Jules Verne and Mayne Reid, Dumas and HG Wells. Without them, you can't consider yourself to be an educated person. And for older age groups, there are Hemingway, Remarque and Faulkner. But in general, books are a very private business. You can wish a young man to fall in love with a beautiful princess and a girl to fall in love with a prince from a fairytale. But everyone will have their own prince and princess. Some like Proust, some love Camus, and others like Chekhov. There can be no single taste. There are several mandatory books, but the rest is up to you. The main thing is to like them.

- How do you feel about the Internet which is gradually replacing cinemas, libraries, television and newspapers? Don't you think that over time, e-books will change the reader's attitude to traditional paper books?

- I feel very positive. The Internet is one of mankind's greatest inventions. We can't even imagine yet how it will change our future life. It seems that only Isaac Asimov imagined fifty years ago what would happen to our civilization. Perhaps the attitude to books really will change. I know how the sale of electronic books and novels is growing on the Internet. Hopefully, paper books will continue to serve humanity in my lifetime. And then we'll see ... The development of civilization cannot be stopped unless we are stupid enough to stop the process.

- Do you travel a lot? What prominent writers do you meet? What particular meeting do you remember?

- It's impossible even to list all the people I've met. In this respect, I'm a very lucky man. I was at the villa of Camilo Jose Cela and I met Jose Saramago and Dario Fo, I'm a close friend of Sergey Mikhalkov and have visited his home several times. We've hosted Orhan Pamuk here. Among modern Nobel Prize winners, I've seen and know almost everyone, including Mario Vargas Llosa, who gave me his book "The War of the End of the World". If I start to talk about each of them, I could write a book. Almost all of them were people with longstanding views that couldn't be shaken by any situation. I even met Yulian Semyonov back in the late eighties. Perhaps I was most impressed by the author of "The Gospel According to Jesus Christ", Jose Saramago. He was a man of unbending will and courage who never renounced his views. But I would not want to talk only about those whom I met while travelling. I've been lucky in Azerbaijan as well. Here I met such outstanding past writers as Mirza Ibrahimov, Suleyman Rustam and Ismayil Sixli.

- You are over 50 now. What have you gained and lost in this time?

- I've become a misanthrope. I've lost a fair amount of my optimism, turning into a cheerful cynic. I hope that there will be no final transformation. But it's annoying. People do not change and do not learn from others' mistakes. It's a shame. I've also lost my mom and dad. My dad died three years ago and my mother passed away two months ago. They lived a combined total of almost 170 years. But I'm still hurt, even though my mother died at 87. When they're alive, you think they're eternal. Although, by and large, I think I was lucky. To live up to 50 with your parents is great happiness and no-one can take it away from me. Never.

- You have already achieved fame as an internationally known writer. What else would you like to accomplish in life?

- I want more people to read my books. I already have the Frankfurt Prize, I would like a Nobel Prize, although they may not give it to me. But, to be serious, the most important thing that any sane person, even a "world famous writer", may want in life is the health of his family and friends. Believe me, this is the most important thing...

- What else can't Cingiz Abdullayev do, but would very much like to learn?

- I don't speak French. Children are fluent in several languages, including French. It has always seemed so beautiful to me. I probably need to learn it. I would also like to fly into space and look at our earth from the outside. Although I don't like airplanes, I have to fly forty to fifty times a year. For the sake of space, I'm willing to take a risk and get on a rocket.

- The last traditional question. Tell us about your future plans. What novel are you working on and when will your next book be released?

- In the next few months, my trilogy "Boomerang Hit", "Victim Syndrome" and "Adaptation of Conscience" will be published. Then there will be a book written on behalf of a young, 35-year-old Bakuvian woman, which is called "The Baku Boulevard". The book, "Clan of New Amazons" is ready. As you can see, I'm not stopping. And in March, my new movie "Inverted Light", filmed by Anvar Abluc, will premiere. There are many plans. We just have to wait and see...