New translations of iconic poet Vazha-Pshavela to be unveiled in London

The most comprehensive collection of English translations of poems by Vazha-Pshavela, one of Georgia’s all-time iconic poets, will be introduced to audiences in London on Friday.

An evening of poetry reading and talks at the capital city’s Asia House venue will bring Unveiling Vazha-Pshavela, a book featuring some of his most notable works, to enthusiasts of literature.

Translated by Professor Donald Rayfield of the Queen Mary University of London, the compilation highlights the contemporary relevance of the 1861-born poet from Georgia’s mountainous Pshavi province.

A mural of Vazha-Pshavela in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi. The poet is one of the most popular figures of Georgian literature. Photo: Mariam Ergemlidze.

The poems in the book have been selected to illustrate Vazha’s powerful, tragic, often Shakespearean force, as well as the development of the poet’s ideas and approach to nature, very relevant to ecological politics in the world today,” a preview from organisers said.

Rayfield, who teaches Russian and Georgian at his university, called Vazha-Pshavela an author who is "qualitatively of a greater magnitude than any other Georgian writer" in his 1994 work The Literature of Georgia.

Beside the British professor, Unveiling Vazha-Pshavela involved efforts from a team of Georgian creatives who contributed to the publication.

Contemporary uthor Ana Kordzaia-Samadashvili’s works were included in the collection, with other content coming from fashion designer Manana Antelidze and artists Leonid and Andro Semeiko. The latter also initiated the project and edited the book.

Both Andro Semeiko and Rayfield will speak at Asia House, where Golden Globe- and BAFTA-winning Welsh actor Dame Siân Phillips will read selected poems from the book.

Finally, part of the artwork used in Unveiling Vazha-Pshavela will be on display for the visiting audience at the venue.

Born in 1861 in Pshavi in Georgia's northeast, Luka Razikashvili adopted the pen name Vazha-Pshavela to signify his highland origins.

Authoring over a dozen poems, short stories and theatre plays, a major recurring theme of his works has been the strict customs of highland provinces of Georgia and their occasional clash with personal or humanist principles.

Vazha-Pshavela’s works have been translated into dozens of languages including Russian, French, English and German while also serving as basis for theatre and film adaptations.

The poet’s significance in Georgia is also illustrated by Vazhaoba, an annual celebration of his legacy in his native village of Chargali. The festival’s 2015 edition marked a centenary since his death.