Draft:Ahmadi Mala

Ahmedi Mela
Ahmedi Mela
Native name	ئەحمەدی مەلا
Born	1957 (age 67–68); Tomar village, Shwan district, Kirkuk, Iraq
Occupation	Poet, Novelist, Translator, Academic
Language	Kurdish, French
Nationality	Kurdish
Education	University of Franche-Comté (PhD)
Alma mater	University of Franche-Comté
Period	1983–present
Genre	Poetry, Novel, Literary translation
Notable works	Zardek, Zakira Ba

Ahmedi Mela (Kurdish: ئەحمەدی مەلا; born 1957) is a Kurdish poet, novelist, translator, and academic. He is currently a professor of French language and literature history at the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain.^[1]

Early life and education

Ahmedi Mela was born in 1957 in Tomar village in the Shwan district of Kirkuk, Iraq. He completed his primary and secondary education in Kirkuk and his preparatory studies in Baghdad. In 1981, he left Kurdistan and lived for a time in Geneva, Switzerland, where he studied drama.^[1]

He later moved to France for higher education, earning a master's degree in language sciences and a PhD in comparative literature from the University of Franche-Comté in 1999. His doctoral thesis was titled "Mahwi between Esotericism and Exotericism: The Image of the Beloved and the Sources of Love."^[1]

Academic career

Ahmedi Mela currently serves as a professor of French language and literature history at the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain. His work has been the subject of academic research, notably in a study published in the Journal of Raparin University analyzing the ontological principles in his literary work.^[2]

In a comprehensive 2017 interview with Culture Project, Ahmedi Mela discussed his translation philosophy, literary influences, and views on Kurdish cultural development, providing insights into his intellectual approach and scholarly methodology.^[3] His scholarly perspectives have been featured in multiple Kurdish media outlets, including discussions on Kurdish interpretations of Islam and contemporary Kurdish intellectual development.^[4]^[5]

Translation work

Ahmedi Mela began his career with poetry, visual arts, and theater, later expanding into novels and literary translation. He has been an active contributor to Kurdish literature since the 1980s. His translation philosophy emphasizes the creative nature of the process, viewing translation as "rewriting or even inventing a new work" rather than mere linguistic conversion.^[3]

Poetry

Baran (Rain), Geneva, Poésie Vivante, 1983
Zardek, Geneva, Agri, 1988^[6]
Kitêbî Shî'r (Book of Poetry), Paris, APCKF, 1996
Aqîqî Zir û Zistanêkî Zor (Reality of Gold and a Long Winter), Besançon, 1998
Mang û Helperin (Moon and Stars), Ciudad Real, 2000
Asmanmar le Sheqeqî Bal Bêzar Kird (Our Sky Tired the Wing from Flying), Galawezh Publications, Sulaymaniyah, 2007

Novels

Zakirey Ba (Memory of the Wind), Sardam, Sulaymaniyah, 2001
Balochistan, Aras, Erbil, 2004
Penahende (Refugee), Ranj, Sulaymaniyah, 2006

Translations

Ahmedi Mela has translated numerous works of world literature into Kurdish, including:

Poetry:

Une Saison en Enfer by Arthur Rimbaud, Aras, Erbil, 2001
Les Fleurs du Mal by Charles Baudelaire, Aras, Erbil, 2001
Works by Octavio Paz and Odysseas Elytis

Novels:

Samarkand by Amin Maalouf, Aras, Erbil, 2002
Slowness by Milan Kundera, Aras, Erbil, 2003

Theater:

Le Bourgeois gentilhomme by Molière, Aras, Erbil, 2011
Works by Eugène Ionesco

Publications in French

De Cette Nuit Naissent des Aubes (From This Night Dawn is Born), L'Harmattan, Paris, 2001
Zardik, poèmes traduits du kurde (translated by Ismail Darwish), L'Harmattan, Paris, 1993^[6]

Literary significance

Ahmedi Mela is recognized as an important figure in contemporary Kurdish literature, particularly among the Kurdish diaspora in Europe. His work has been published by L'Harmattan, a notable French academic publisher, bringing Kurdish literature to French-speaking audiences.^[6]

His intellectual contributions extend beyond translation to literary criticism and cultural analysis. In scholarly discussions, he has addressed the relationship between Kurdish literature and global literary traditions, the challenges facing contemporary Kurdish writers, and the role of translation in cultural preservation and development.^[3]

Academic analysis of his work has focused on his use of questioning as an ontological principle in his poetry, demonstrating the philosophical depth of his literary contributions.^[2] His approach to translation emphasizes not merely linguistic conversion but creative reinterpretation, viewing each translation as "inventing a new work."^[3]