Today marks 112 years since the birth of People's Writer Ilyas Efendiyev.
Oxu.Az reports that Ilyas Efendiyev was born on May 26, 1914, in Qaryagin (now Fuzuli region) into a well-known merchant family.
The Efendiyev family faced severe persecution during Soviet times in the 1930s. Their ancestral property was confiscated, some family members were executed as 'enemies of the people', and others were exiled.
While working as a geography teacher in Qaryagin, he wrote his first stories. He penned 9 stories in a row.
In 1938-1939, his first essay, review, and articles were published in the newspaper 'Yeni Yol'. He later worked for 'Kommunist' and 'Edebiyyat Gazeti'.
In 1940, he became a member of the Union of Azerbaijani Writers. In 1949, he was awarded the 'Order of the Badge of Honor'.
In 1954, his play 'The Atayev Family' was staged, marking a successful step in his career.
He received the 'Order of the Red Banner of Labour' in 1971 and the 'Order of the October Revolution' in 1974. For his 60th jubilee, a four-volume collection of selected works was published.
His plays 'Khurshidbanu Natavan', 'Sheikh Khiyabani', children's stories 'Deer Hunt', 'The Jasmine Tree', short novels 'Letters from the Village', 'Bright Nights', and novels 'The Khan Plane Tree', 'The Tale of Sarikoynak and Valeh' are beloved by readers.
In 1979, he was awarded the honorary title 'People's Writer'. In 1984-1985, a six-volume collection of selected works was published with a print run of 40,000 copies.
His 80th jubilee was celebrated in 1994, and he was awarded the 'Order of Glory' by the President.
The People's Writer passed away on October 3, 1996, at the age of 82.
