Rovshan Abdullaoglu
Rovshan Abdullaoglu (2019)
Rovshan Abdullaoglu (2019)
Native name
Rövşən Abdulla oğlu Abdullayev
Born (1978-09-28) September 28, 1978 (age 45)
Baku, Azerbaijan SSR
OccupationPhilosopher, theologian, psychologist, fiction and non-fiction writer, specialist in Eastern philosophy
LanguageAzerbaijani
NationalityAzerbaijani
CitizenshipAzerbaijan
GenrePhilosophical novel, Psychological novel, Detective fiction
Website
rovshanabdullaoglu.com

Rovshan Abdullaoglu (Azerbaijani: Rövşən Abdullaoğlu) (born: September 28, 1978, Baku; native name: Rovshan Abdulla oghlu Abdullayev (Azerbaijani: Rövşən Abdulla oğlu Abdullayev)) is an Azerbaijani writer, philosopher, psychologist, and a member of PEN America. He is the founder of the publishing house Gadim Gala, and director of the scientific department.

To date, 27 books by Rovshan Abdullaoglu have been published in Azerbaijan. Most of these have become bestsellers and have been translated into English, Russian, Turkish, Uzbek and Arabic.

In his works, he touches on topics related to psychology, philosophy, irfan, life philosophy, and theology. In 2016 the psychological novel This City is Empty became a best seller of local and foreign books in Azerbaijan.[1] In 2020 another best seller The Man on the Rails became a gold medal winner of the Reader's Favorite international book contests in the USA.

Rovshan Abdullaoglu is also well-known for his social activities. He conducts seminars on psychological topics, teaches philosophy in schools, cultural centers, and universities and takes part in television and radio programs. He is a founder and member of different charity projects.


Biography

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Rovshan Abdulla oglu Abdullayev was born into an educated family in Baku on September 28, 1978.[2] He is married and has three children.

His father, Abdulla Abdullayev, was then a police major and is presently a leading lawyer. He had taken part in the First Karabakh War. His mother, Gulnara Abdullayeva, has worked in the banking sector as an accountant for about 30 years and is presently retired. Rovshan Abdullaoglu has two brothers: Altai Abdullayev is a pediatrician specializing in neonatology. Farhad Abdullayev is the co-founder and CEO of the publishing house Gadim Gala.

Education

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Rovshan Abdullaoglu completed his secondary education in 1995, and soon entered Azerbaijan State Economic University.[2]

Thereafter, he served in the Azerbaijan border troops, receiving a personal letter of thanks from the commander of the military unit. He also studied at a music school.

He continued education in Arabic and Persian languages in the fields of theology, scholastics, Arabic literature, and Eastern and Western philosophy. He studied at various universities for over eight years.

In 2013, he became a licensed gestalt therapist at the Psychological Department of the Moscow Institute of Positive Technologies and Consulting.

He speaks Azerbaijani, Turkish, English, Arabic, Persian, and Russian.

Works

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To date, 27 books by Rovshan Abdullaoglu have been published in Azerbaijan. Most of these have become bestsellers, and have been translated into English, Russian, Turkish, Uzbek, and Arabic.

Three of his books "Burn the Bridges behind You", "Life Goes On, No Matter What", and This City is Empty have been published in Turkey.

Translations and Explanations

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In 2011, Abdullaoglu started translating one of Avicenna's final books, Remarks and Admonitions (Kitab al-isharat wa al-tanbihat). In parallel with the semantic translation of the book, Abdullaoglu provided his own interpretation of Avicenna's metaphysics and logic as two books: "Contemplation"[3] and "On the Levels of the Mystics"[4].

In 2012, he went on to translate the work of another famous philosopher-scientist: Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai. The translation and interpretation of this treatise was published in three parts.[5][6]

His interpretation to the Tabatabai's “Bidayatul Hikma”, written in Arabic and considered one of the most important philosophical works on ontology, was published under the title “The Beginning of Wisdom”.[7]

In the same year, Abdullaoglu translated The First Book, which is considered the first manuscript in the Islamic world.[8]

Psychological Works

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In his five subsequent works, "Burn the Bridges behind You"[9][10], "Fears"[11][12][13], "Every Human a Ruler"[14], "Life Goes On, No Matter What"[15][16][17], and "Rising Against All"[18], the author turns to Western and Eastern psychology. He also translated these works to create a synthesis of his psychological and theological views.

Fictional Works

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In 2016, his first psychological novel, This City is Empty, became Azerbaijan's best-selling book.[19][20][21][22] The novel has received Reader's Favorite five-star badge of distinction. It was also rated 4.5 points out of a possible 5 points by the Self-Publishing Review.

The author's second novel, The Man on the Rails, was published in 2017. In 2020, the novel was awarded a gold medal in the International Readers' Favorite Book Contest (cultural fiction genre)[23] and a five-star badge of distinction by Readers' Favorite.[24] The novel was evaluated by IndieReaders with 4.9 points out of 5 and awarded with IR-Approved badge.[25] It has also been rated among the best independent publications by Kirkus magazine, who featured their review of the book in a special issue (July 1, 2020).[26] The book also got 4.5 points out of 5 by the Self-Publishing Review.

In 2018, a book with the bewitching title "Abaddon" made its debut.[27][28] This intellectual psychological detective story sold out in just 3 hours.[29] This work also has received Reader’s Favorite five-star badge of distinction.[30]

In 2022, the novel "Blindworm", dedicated to the Karabakh war, was published.[31][32] In a short time, the book reached first place in the list of Azerbaijani and foreign bestsellers.[33]

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His first book The Veil of Light and Darkness, published in 2010, describes the factors of moral and personal development and decline, the properties of the soul, and the veils of light and darkness within it.[34]

The book Signature of Life, published in 2012, describes the mystical (irfan) theory of the oldest schools of thought dating back to BC, which claims that all beings in the world are alive.[35]

In March 2019, the first book, entitled Captivity, in the series God: Myth or Reality was published. It is a science book that explains the psychological reasons for ardent defense and negation of the concept of "creator" by various ideological schools.[36]

Books’ success

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His books translated into English received high reviews from a number of prestigious literary criticism organizations in the USA.

This City is Empty

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"Two memorable lives collide in THIS CITY IS EMPTY, an emotionally gripping and challenging novel by Rovshan Abdullaoglu. Abdullaoglu weaves philosophy, poetry, rhetoric, and self-reflection in a masterful way, making this novel an unpredictable and ultimately profound read.

“This is a philosophical novel that poses the question (among others): How can a person find happiness? Or, put another way, how can one break the chains that years of unhappiness forge? An engaging tale that wears its sincerity proudly and offers readers spiritual sustenance. Abdullaoglu is clearly an author who writes from the heart.

“Overcoming barriers of race, culture, and residue of life’s setbacks — from family abandonment to the perils of war — THIS CITY IS EMPTY by Rovshan Abdullaoglu is a valuable read.

— IndieReader

“The concept of the novel, a negative person meeting a positive person who changes his entire outlook on and the events of his life, is intriguing and fresh. The prose is well-crafted. The protagonist’s personal transformation based on a growing relationship with a kind, wiser person is executed with flair and genuine insight here.

— BookLife Prize

“Philosophical, open-minded readers will find much food for thought in this novel centered on two very different men’s discussions.

— BookLife Reviews

"THIS CITY IS EMPTY is a beautiful story of finding your center and that one person who will change you for the better. It feels genuine and enticing at the same time. I am a huge fan of author Rovshan Abdullaoglu and loved THE MAN ON THE RAILS (another novel by R.A.). Mr. Rovshan is a masterly writer!

— R.Tanveer for Reader's Favorite

The Man on the Rails

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“THE MAN ON THE RAILS is a powerful work. Rovshan Abdullaoglu writes with passion and grace with an impressive sense of detail and atmosphere in a modern novel crackling with ancient wisdom.”

— Kirkus Reviews

"Great for fans of Boris Pasternak’s Doctor Zhivago, Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns.”

— BookLife Reviews

“Abdullaoglu's prose is strong, and each character shines through with their unique voices.”

— BookLife Prize

"I would highly recommend The Man on the Rails to readers who appreciate thoughtful literary fiction with a wide-ranging perspective."

— K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite ★★★★★

"As is found in Abdullaoglu's other work, there is an engaging juxtaposition of modern knowledge, ancient cultural traditions, and intense philosophical effort.” |author=Self-Publishing Review}}

"This book is a tribute to hope: no matter how hopeless things may seem, there is always hope and it is worth living for."

— Nara Hodge, author, member of the British Poetry Society

Abaddon

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This story is more than a psychological thriller; it also touches on cultural biases, mental health, the nature of power struggles, blurred moral lines, art, mythology, science and so much more. This unusual tale is more than worth the ride. A page-turning spiral into the circles of hell, Abaddon is another impressive release from a continually innovative and poignant wordsmith.

— Self-Publishing Review

The prose is straightforward. This plot is original, the split between narrative and another style is highly unique. The physical descriptions of Ireland are often quite lovely.

— BookLife Prize

The grisly nature of the murders will grip genre fans hard and pull them along.

— Kirkus Review

ABADDON by Rovshan Abdullaoglu is a character study wrapped in a murder mystery. The author shines at psychological drama, building suspense and mystery that hooks the reader from beginning to end.

— IndieReader

The storyline of Abaddon by Rovshan Abdullaoglu is gripping and will grab your attention from the first chapter. The plot twists were unique, and the ending was perfect. Abaddon is a brilliant and unforgettable read.

— Lesley Jones for Readers' Favorite


Life Goes on no Matter What

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LIFE GOES ON NO MATTER WHAT by Rovshan Abdullaoglu is an earnest self-help guide that offers principles to live by, and helps readers deal with loss and grief. The author uses his own personal experiences and artwork to convey his message, and includes journal pages for readers to use. This work is impactful, and could easily be applied to many painful life events.

— IndieReader

Life Goes On No Matter What by Rovshan Abdullaoglu is a compelling book in the area of motivational psychology. Packed with wisdom for readers to unfold, and one that teaches us how to value life and give it meaning.

— Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite

Social activity

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Rovshan Abdullaoglu conducts seminars on psychological topics, teaches philosophy in schools, cultural centers, and universities and takes part in television and radio programs.

Following his research during his study at university on the effects of social factors on adolescent psychology and the facts for and against the theory of evolution, Rovshan Abdullaoglu published many articles on these topics in newspapers and magazines.

In 2018, he donated the whole profit from the sale of the book The Man on the Rails to the Azerbaijan Social Community Aid for Orphans and Children of Martyrs.[37]

In 2019, the "Friend of Health" award, compiled by the awarding commission of "EGE hospital," known for its professional medical staff and high medical service, was presented for the first time in the country to Rovshan Abdullaoglu. The hospital will provide free lifelong check-ups, ambulatory, and polyclinic services to the writer.[38]

In 2020, he was invited as an expert to the series of webinars "European Union: For Gender Equality" organized by the UN Population Fund and the UN-WOMEN organization, and to the state television program organized within the framework of this project.

By the initiative of Rovshan Abdullaoglu, 2,020 of his books were presented by Gadim Gala publishing house to veterans, soldiers, and families of martyrs of the Second Karabakh War.[39]

For his project "Zəfər tarixi 2020" (Victory History 2020) Rovshan Abdullaoglu was awarded with a "Certificate of Appreciation" by "Əmanət" - a project to support the personal development of children of martyrs and veterans.

In 2022, he gave a speech on "Psychological Traps that Control Our Choices" at the TEDx organized by the British College.[40]

In 2022, he became a winner of the VI Grant Competition for Development and Innovation in Education with his psychological development program, DISCOVER YOURSELF, which serves to improve educational results. Within the framework of this project, he wrote a psychological guideline and provided a specific methodical training to the teachers of the 10th-11th grades.

Hobby

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Sport

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Since childhood, Rovshan’s main hobbies have been reading books and playing sports. As a teenager, he was actively engaged in wrestling, sambo, karate, judo, boxing and acrobatics. In 2011, he won a silver medal at the international judo competition "Vahdat."

Travel

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To enrich his creativity and get to personally know the historical and famous places mentioned in his books and the cultures of different people, he traveled to many countries, such as Ireland, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, and Italy.

In 2018-2019, he visited African countries and got acquainted with the traditions of the Pygmy, Hadzabi, Mursi, Karajong, and Hamar tribal communities.[41][42][43][44]

In December 2019, the writer was on a trip to Latin American countries and took part in an expedition to the Antarctic continent from Ushuaia, the last city of the southern hemisphere, known as the "End of the World" in Argentina. He also learned the function of the Bellinshausen polar station.[45][46][47][48]

References

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  1. ^ Şöhlət İxtiyaroğlu: “Kitab mağazalarında çeşid yoxdur” (MÜSAHİBƏ)
  2. ^ a b "YAZAR HAQQINDA" (in Azerbaijani). qedimqala.az. Archived from the original on 2016-07-27. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
  3. ^ Görüntülər
  4. ^ "İbn Sinanın "Ariflərin ürfani məqamları" adlı kitabı artıq satışdadır!" (in Azerbaijani). deyerler.org. 2011-11-19. Archived from the original on 2020-02-04. Retrieved 2019-07-12. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 2019-07-12 suggested (help)
  5. ^ ""İnsan Dünyadan Əvvəl" kitabı artıq satışda" (in Azerbaijani). samantarjomeh.ir. 2011-12-31. Archived from the original on 2020-10-01. Retrieved 2020-01-14.
  6. ^ "Əllamə Təbatəbainin "İnsan dünyadan əvvəl" adlı kitabı nəşr olunub" (in Azerbaijani). deyerler.org. 2011-11-19. Archived from the original on 2019-07-12. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
  7. ^ Əllamə Təbatəbainin ˝Bidayət-ul-Hikmə˝ kitabı əsasında yazılmışdır. Şərh və əlavələr: Rövşən Abdullaoğlu
  8. ^ "İlk Kitab (II nəşr)" (in Azerbaijani). qedimqala.az. Archived from the original on 2015-08-09. Retrieved 2015-08-09. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 2015-08-19 suggested (help)
  9. ^ ""Arxadakı körpüləri yandırın"-TÜRKİYƏDƏ" (in Azerbaijani). kulis.lent.az. 2014-06-24. Archived from the original on 2016-07-31. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
  10. ^ ""Arxadakı Körpüləri Yandırın" kitabı çapdan çıxıb" (in Azerbaijani). salamnews.org. 2014-07-16. Archived from the original on 2014-07-21. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
  11. ^ "Qorxusu olanlar üçün "Qorxular" kitabı - FOTO" (in Azerbaijani). modern.az. 2015-03-31. Archived from the original on 2016-07-28. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
  12. ^ "Qorxusu olanlar üçün "Qorxular" kitabı (FOTO)" (in Azerbaijani). trend.az. 2015-03-31. Archived from the original on 2016-07-28. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
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  14. ^ Respublika Gənclər Kitabxanasında görüş — "Müasir gəncliyin mütaliə mədəniyyəti. Kəsişən qütblərin müzakirəsi"
  15. ^ Nurəddin Məmmədli (2019-08-09). "Ədəbi yaradıcılıqda əsas amil müəllifin niyyətidir..." (in Azerbaijani). medeniyyet.az. Archived from the original on 2020-02-18. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
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  17. ^ "Rövşən Abdullaoğlunun kitabı Türkiyədə nəşr olunub" (in Azerbaijani). salamnews.org. 2019-07-04. Archived from the original on 2020-02-04. Retrieved 2020-02-04. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 2020-02-18 suggested (help)
  18. ^ ""Üsyan" adlı kitab çap olundu" (in Azerbaijani). kulis.az. 2014-05-22. Archived from the original on 2016-07-28. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
  19. ^ Zərif Nisə (2017-01-13). "Tilsim sındı - Azərbaycanlı yazıçı xariciləri üstələdi" (in Azerbaijani). milli.az. Archived from the original on 2017-01-13. Retrieved 2017-01-13.
  20. ^ "Azərbaycanda ən çox satılan kitab - FOTO". Archived from the original on 2021-09-24. Retrieved 2019-09-09.
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  29. ^ İlkin İzzət (2018-05-15). "Azərbaycanda rekord - Kitab nəşr olunandan cəmi 3 saat sonra satılıb qurtardı" (in Azerbaijani). milli.az. Archived from the original on 2018-05-16. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
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  31. ^ Tanınmış yazıçı Rövşən Abdullaoğlunun yeni romanı işıq üzü görüb
  32. ^ Rövşən Abdullaoğlunun "Koramal" adlı yeni romanı çap olundu
  33. ^ ""Koramal" bir neçə günə satılıb qurtatdı"". Archived from the original on 2022-07-03. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
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  40. ^ "TEDxAzerbaijanBritishCollege". Archived from the original on 2022-11-26. Retrieved 2022-11-26.
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