Four Georgian personalities had joined the panel which was moderated by Mohammad-Reza Vasfi, director of International Section in the 23^rd Tehran International Book Fair who hailed Iran-Georgia relations as age-old and called for a resumption of literary exchanges between the two countries.

 

Georgian panelists were authors or translators, Davit Turashvilli, Vassil Janikashvili, Giorgi Lobjanidze, and Teha Ashurnamaya, as well as the country's cultural advisor.

 

Mohammad-Reza Vasfi initiated the panel by introducing the Georgian personalities. He then presented a short history of Iran-Georgia literary exchanges, saying that many literary terms and idioms have been a legacy of age-old relations between the two countries.

 

"For example, few people have not heard about 'Mountain of Qaf' or do not know 'Simorq.' Mountain of Qaf where our legend considers as end of the globe actually stands for the Caucasus mountain range situated north of Georgia. At that time, many perceived the bottom of the world lies in those mountains since no trace of genuine civilization had been found behind the land of Georgia," the moderator said, adding that all those literary traces attest to deep rooted spiritual relations between the two neighbors.

 

Vasfi then called for a resumption of literary exchanges between the two countries, noting however that unlike a vast number of learners of Persian language and literature Georgia, few Iranian youths are interested in learning Georgian language.

 

According to Vasfi, due to a forced or willful immigration of Georgians to different corners of Iran at different junctures in history, the ancient language of the country is still in vogue in certain areas like Isfahan province to the extent that linguists who decided to study ancient Georgian language chose the area for research

 

 

Next to speak was Ms. Teha Ashurnamaya, a Georgian orientalist and Persian-Georgian translator, who has published a book titled "Persian Proverbs" in Georgia.

 

The authoress thanked the Iranian organizers of Tehran Book Fair and called it a gala and a massive cultural event. She then read out to the audience a paper in Farsi on "a history of translation of Persian literature into Georgian."

 

"It is regrettable that Iranians know less about literary developments in Georgia than other former Soviet republics. Records of literary exchanges between the two countries date back 900 years, further highlighting the significance of revival of the relations. However, Georgian Iranologists assume that the two nations have even maintained older literary relations," the Georgian orientalist and translator read out.

 

The paper then offers a background of translation of classic Persian into Georgian, arguing "today, a literary distance between Iran and Georgia increasingly grows shorter. Until the turn of the twentieth century, Georgians only knew about Persian classics however contemporary Iranian literature began to deliver in Georgia."

 

According to the paper, modules on Persian language and literature were introduced in state Tbilisi University in 1919 and most Georgian translators of Persian literature who also render contemporary Iranian literature into their mother tongue are graduates of the university.

 

Wrapping up his presentation, Ashurnamaya revealed that a full text of Ferdowsi Shahnama had been published in Georgia and that a versified translation of the full text into Georgian will soon be published under the auspices of the cultural department of the Islamic Republic of Iran's embassy in Tbilisi.

 

 

Next, Ali Mohammadzada, a young poet at hand in the panel, recited a short piece of poem. Mohammadzada had earlier visited Georgia upon an invitation by panelist Giorgi Lobjanidze. He extended his poem to the Georgian author.

 

A translator of the Koran and a professor with Tbilisi University, Lobjanidze has win a prize in an edition of Annual Book Award staged in the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2008.

 

The Georgian author-translator took the panel by saying he was highly impressed at Mohammadzada's poem, also addressed to him. He then read out to the audience a paper by himself on "contemporary currents of Georgian poetry."

 

The paper read that in Georgia like in Iran, poetry was preferred over prose and in the same note Georgians prefer to express their feelings in poetry. It then argued that the practice had led to emergence of various poetical styles, each having their own poets at different eras.

 

The short paper continued by introducing two Georgian poets. The author then read out translated versions of two poems made by the Georgian poets.

 

Next to speak the panel were Davit Turashvilli, Georgian author and playwright and Vassil Janikashvili, young Georgian author, both of them making short remarks in Georgian.

 

Turashvilli, who was recently declared a bestselling author in Georgia, argued in his short remarks that Iran and Georgia have had no literary exchanges for two centuries so that the Georgians only knew Persian classics however at present the exchanges have begun again, helping interested Georgians to become acquainted with contemporary Persian literature.

 

Janikashvili for his part he expressed hope that the next edition of Tehran International Book Fair would have on stalls Georgian literature in Farsi.

 

The young Georgian author concluded his remarks by acknowledging that western mass media have befouled the mind of people concerning Iran. "World's mass media regrettably release false reports about Iran. Nonetheless, I now on a visit to Iran have found the people highly merited. The rumors are never true."