LGBTQI+ themed book published in Azerbaijan

Nazlı Çələbi was born in Baku in 1970, graduated from the Azerbaijan Medical Institute in 1992, and then continued her studies in Parapsychology and psychotherapy in Moscow. She is an international doctor and speaker. She is the owner of honorary titles "Honour of Azerbaijan", "Golden Pen", "Intellectual of the Century".

One of Çələbi’s recent books is an LGBTQI+ themed novel titled “Blue Fear”. The book was published and released by the "Əlfəcin" publishing house. The novel tells the story of an Azerbaijani conservative father who learns that his child is homosexual, leading him on a long journey. The events are based on real facts.

The book faced no censorship or pressure during its publication and release. Speaking to Minority Azerbaijan, the author Nazlı Çələbi stated that she received no support during this period and that her surroundings refused to read the book.

"My main motivation for writing this novel was a young gay acquaintance. I have been like a second mother to him, and he always shared all his troubles with me. He asked me to write such a book. Through writing, I wanted to convey to people what these individuals [ed: LGBTQI+s] go through and how they grow up with much suffering. This novel includes opinions from experts and doctors, and examples from international experiences and research."

"I called for support for this book in many places, but everyone was indifferent. I would very much like to spread this book across all of Azerbaijan with financial support," Çələbi emphasised. The author said she aims to continue her research on this topic.

The first novel discussing love between Armenian and Azerbaijani boys, “Artush and Zaur”, was published by writer Ali Akbar in 2009. After being published in Azerbaijan, it was removed from sale by the police, the store selling it was temporarily closed, and the owner was called to the police for questioning. However, the author managed to have the book published in the Netherlands in 2012 after moving to Europe.

Author: Alex Shah