On March 15, 2024, a meeting was held with the Chairman of the Azerbaijan Writers’ Union, People’s Writer Anar, at the Fikret Amirov Conference-Concert Center on the Downtown campus of Khazar University.
The meeting was attended by the administration of the university, employees and students, employees of other universities, academician Isa Habibbeyli, the president of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, academic staff of the academy, the secretary of the Writers’
Union, the chairman of the Azerbaijan Press Council and the editor-in-chief of “525 newspaper” poet-publicist Rashad Majid, poets and writers, artists, media representatives, as well as close friends and family members of the writer representing various fields.
In the lobby, an exhibition featuring books by a renowned writer was on display.
Prof. Acad. Hamlet Isakhanli, the founder of Khazar University and chairman of the Board of Directors and Trustees, inaugurated the event and underscored its significance. He highlighted that the meeting held particular importance as it coincided with Anar’s birthday. The audience warmly welcomed the people’s writer with applause.
Following this, Hamlet Isakhanli invited him onto the stage, and in a departure from the traditional meeting format, they sat facing each other in chairs. The event commenced with a video presentation showcasing Anar’s life journey, after which the writer greeted the attendees and expressed profound gratitude to the university administration for their recognition of his literary contributions.
During the discussion meeting between Hamlet Isakhanli and Anar, the People’s Writer provided thorough and detailed responses to all the questions posed to him. He mentioned that there are songs inspired by his writings, recalling a poignant memory of his late composer friend Emin Sabitoghlu composing a beautiful song based on a poem he wrote expressing longing for his homeland while living in Türkiye. In response, Hamlet Isakhanli acknowledged familiarity with the history of this song and revealed that they had invited the People’s Artist Ilgar Muradov, considered the most exquisite performer after the composer himself, to the event.
Then the People’s Artist performed the same song accompanied by the Khazar University Chamber Orchestra (artistic director – head of the university’s Music and Art Department, Honored teacher, pianist Zulfiyya Sadygova).
Then excerpts from films based on Anar Rzayev’s works were presented, and there was an exchange of views between Hamlet Isakhanli and the People’s Writer about some merits of these films. At the end of the event, a cake made on the occasion of the People’s Writer’s birthday was brought to the stage and Zulfiyya Sadigova presented a bouquet of flowers to Anara on behalf of the university.
