{"title":"Azerbaijan","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"stone-dreams-by-akram-aylisli","title":"Stone Dreams by Akram Aylisli","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'\u003cem\u003eStone Dreams\u003c\/em\u003e deserves a wide readership for its literary merits alone, never mind the level of access Aylisli provides to the rich and complex cultural mindset of the South Caucasus ... Because his work is now banned in Azerbaijan, it is more critical to read Aylisli now than ever' \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e– Alex Raufoglu\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSet during the last years of the Soviet Union, \u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eStone Dreams \u003c\/em\u003etells the story of Azerbaijani actor Sadai Sadygly, who lands in a Baku hospital while trying to protect an elderly Armenian man from a gang of young Azerbaijanis. 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The theme of non-conformity and the punk rejection of state authority is a continuous thread throughout the book, which highlights changing and divided societies and their evolving norms in the post-Soviet period. Inspired by the titular concepts, punk and orientalism, the text functions as a form of bricolage, uniting punk movements and strategies, which can be traced in popular visual culture from the 1970s onwards.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe idea of punk is coupled with a critical study of orientalism and its historical association with imperialist assumptions of knowledge concerning the East. \u003cem\u003ePunk Orientalism\u003c\/em\u003e expands its association with this territory to explore former Soviet possessions in Central Asia and the Caucasus, as well as looking at the USSR's complex relationship with the Arab world, Iran and Turkey. Thematically organised, \u003cem\u003ePunk Orientalism\u003c\/em\u003e presents a thoroughly researched and fascinating selection of contemporary art from a complex and multifaceted part of the globe, featuring diverse artists such as Lida Abdul, Babi Badalov, Taus Makhacheva and Erbossyn Meldibekov who have challenged state and academic policies, mapped new territories, and formed new artistic movements.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ePunk Orientalism\u003c\/em\u003e examines history as a conduit for revisionist thinking and rebellion, appealing to those readers interested in revolutionary practices in contemporary art. 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This lyrical book evokes childhood, loss, resilience, and a world forever altered by history.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAkram Aylisli’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ePeople and Trees\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is the first major work in a long, illustrious literary career by the only contemporary writer from Azerbaijan to occupy a significant place on the world stage. Told in the voice of the young Muslim boy Sadykh, the three linked novellas and a related short story that make up \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ePeople and Trees\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e explore village life in the mountains of Azerbaijan before, during, and just after World War II. 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