Negotiating and avoiding the Soviet censorship: a study of the first complete Azerbaijani translation of the Thousand and One Nights , 1973–1978


Alıyev J.

TRANSLATION STUDIES, cilt.2025, sa.18, ss.1-18, 2025 (SSCI)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 2025 Sayı: 18
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1080/14781700.2024.2438965
  • Dergi Adı: TRANSLATION STUDIES
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI)
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1-18
  • İstanbul Yeni Yüzyıl Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

The Thousand and One Nights, a celebrated work of world literature, has had a significant impact on storytelling practices throughout history. The prodigiously sensual text of the Nights is particularly renowned for its depictions of sexualities, going beyond what is perceived to be normative. The first complete Azerbaijani translation of the text showcases bold and overt translation choices in handling sexually suggestive and “obscene” content, including non-heteronormative and queer elements. This study examines the Azerbaijani translations of the Nights as a case study to explore Soviet censorship of world literature. By juxtaposing the “peripheral literature” perspective with censorship, the research aims to shed light on an under-researched aspect of world literature during the Soviet era.