thesilkroadtoday
The Silk Road Today – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
In a new cultural initiative that strengthens the presence of Arabic literature in Latin America, writer and poet Margarita Al, President of the World Organization of Writers (WOW), has donated the Russian-language edition of the poetry collection A Street in Cairo by Egyptian poet and novelist Ashraf Aboul-Yazid to the National Library of Brazil. The book was translated into Russian by the Azerbaijani poet and translator Eldar Akhadov.
The poetry collection was officially presented at the National Library in Rio de Janeiro, where Margarita Al chose to place it in the Arabic Literature Section, which houses works by some of the Arab world’s most prominent authors, including the Egyptian Nobel Prize laureate Naguib Mahfouz. The donation carries special symbolic significance, as a contemporary Arab poetic voice, rendered into Russian, joins one of Brazil’s most important cultural institutions, reflecting the vitality of Arabic literature and its ability to transcend linguistic and geographical boundaries.
In a message to Ashraf Aboul-Yazid, Margarita Al wrote:
“Dear Ashraf, I have delivered your book to the National Library of Brazil. We are standing in front of the shelf of Arabic literature. I will write more about this later.”
This donation comes within the context of the growing literary activities organized by the World Organization of Writers (WOW) in Latin America, as part of its programs aimed at expanding intercultural dialogue and promoting literary exchange between the Arab world and different languages and civilizations.
The inclusion of Ashraf Aboul-Yazid’s poetry collection, translated into Russian, in the National Library of Brazil represents a remarkable cultural event because it brings together Arab culture, the Russian language, and the Latin American cultural sphere within a single humanistic project that views translation as a means of rapprochement and mutual understanding among peoples.
The event also reaffirms that contemporary Arabic literature continues to expand its global presence through the efforts of translators, cultural institutions, and literary figures who believe in the power of words. It demonstrates that Arabic poetry can find its rightful place in major national libraries, alongside the works of authors who have shaped the history of Arabic literature and left an enduring mark on humanity’s cultural memory.
