The “Natavan” club of the Union of Writers of Azerbaijan hosted the presentation ceremony of the book titled “Longing”, translated into Danish, by the well-known poet-publicist, member of the Union of Writers of Azerbaijan, and Academician of the International Academy of Sciences, Emil Nasirli.
Salim Babullaoglu, the Secretary of the Union of Writers of Azerbaijan for International Relations and Translation Issues, poet, translator, essayist, and one of the leading representatives of Azerbaijani poetry in the era of independence—introduced Emil Nasirli and provided a brief overview of his life and work. Salim Babullaoglu emphasized that Emil Nasirli’s feelings and thoughts regarding his homeland and nation run like a red thread through his entire creative output. He noted that this is quite natural: self-knowledge and understanding one’s identity is the primary condition for life, existence, and resilience for every individual, society, and nation alike. Self-knowledge, above all, signifies self-confidence. It is impossible to define the existence or presence of a person who lacks this inner confidence, as self-confidence is the primary source of the spiritual and physical strength necessary for life. Poets stand at the forefront of those who know themselves and possess self-confidence. “By ‘poet’, I do not mean everyone who writes verse,” he added. “If one out of a hundred people writing poetry is a true poet, it is a great achievement.”
It was noted that Emil Nasirli was born on July 12, 1974, in Baku. From 1981 to 1991, he studied at secondary school No. 174 named after M.A. Sabir in the Nasimi district of Baku. Between 1991 and 1996, he graduated from the Azerbaijan State University of Economics with a degree in Commodity Science. From 1997 to 2000, he worked as a credit specialist, accountant, and chief accountant at the “Supply” branch of the Azerbaijan Industrial-Investment Bank. From 2000 to 2005, he continued his career at the United Universal Joint-Stock Bank (BUS Bank) as a senior specialist and head of the credit department. From 2005 to 2008, he served as a credit specialist at “Kapital Bank” OJSC, and later as deputy manager of the Sabunchu branch of “Kapital Bank” OJSC. During his tenure in the republic’s banking sector, he was repeatedly honored with letters of appreciation from bank management, special badges, and commemorative gifts for his long-term continuous professional service.
Since 2008, Emil Nasirli redirected his activities toward journalism, achieving objective and comprehensive coverage of events occurring globally and within our country. He supported the policy aimed at promoting the ideas of “Azerbaijanism” established by the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev. Currently, he contributes to the development and promotion of journalism by supporting the successful multi-vector policy worthily continued by the successor to the National Leader’s ideas, President Ilham Aliyev. In 2004, Emil Nasirli registered with the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Azerbaijan and founded the international magazine “My Azerbaijan”. Since then, “My Azerbaijan” has been published monthly, becoming an authoritative publication that attracts a wide audience both within the republic and in various countries worldwide. Published under the editorship of Emil Nasirli and elegantly designed, the magazine has modernized its texture, narrative strategy, and design, striving to continue cooperation with diaspora organizations and international structures. The substance of the creative works, the originality of their presentation, and the alignment of materials with genre requirements have consistently attracted readers.
In 2016, Emil Nasirli won a competition organized by the “Azerbaijan-Ukraine” International Alliance among the best representatives of the mass media and was awarded the “Journalist of the Year – 2016” prize by a jury in Baku. In 2010, for his professional creative activity and tireless work in popularizing Azerbaijani realities worldwide, he was awarded the “Golden Pen” media prize. Since 2021, he has been elected an Academician of the International Academy of Sciences, an Honorary Professor of the Moscow State University of Humanities and Economics, and an Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences. In 2022, he was awarded the “Golden Badge” of the Azerbaijan branch of the International Academy of Sciences, and in 2025, the jubilee medal of the Republic of Azerbaijan “150th Anniversary of the Azerbaijani National Press (1875–2025).”
Emil Nasirli is a member of the Union of Journalists of Azerbaijan, as well as the Writers’ Unions of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, and Georgia. He is the author of more than 150 publications, including 14 books and over 300 socio-political and scientific-publicist articles in leading scientific journals of local and foreign publishing houses.
Speaking at the meeting, the renowned poet-publicist Emil Nasirli first expressed his gratitude to the leadership of the Union of Writers of Azerbaijan and the guests who accepted the invitation to the presentation of his elegantly published book of poems, Longing, translated into Danish. Discussing the poems in the new book, he emphasized that the concept of conscience occupies an important place in his philosophical outlook. Therefore, in his work, he focuses on the responsibility of an individual for their word, action, and position. “For me, even silence can sometimes be the wrong choice. This approach shows that ethical philosophy — the moral duty of a human — is at the forefront of my creativity. As a poet, I call on my readers not to remain indifferent, to stand on the side of truth and justice, and to be loyal in friendship,” noted Emil Nasirli, before reciting his poem “Friends”, written in 2015.
The event also featured speeches by Asad Jahangir, Ambassador of the Center for Literary Translation and Literary Relations of the Union of Writers of Azerbaijan and literary critic; Fikret Naghiyev, Director of the “Encyclopedia” Publishing House and Academician of the International Academy of Sciences; Huseyn Duygu, a member of the Writers’ Unions of Denmark and Turkey living in Denmark who translated the book “Longing” into Danish; Ali Nur, Azerbaijani theater actor and People’s Artist of the Republic of Azerbaijan, among others. They noted that Emil Nasirli is among the young poets striving to say something new, and the novelty in his poems stems from a creative relationship with tradition. The uniqueness of Emil Nasirli’s poetry begins with his original approach to language. When he revisits frequently used artistic tropes and metaphors, he does not repeat what has been said but creates something new. Furthermore, while contemplating an object or subject, he manages to see new shades within it and bring them into his poetry.
At the conclusion of the event, poet-publicist Emil Nasirli presented copies of the book “Longing”, translated into Danish, to the participants.