Translation in the Kurdish magazine Hawar

Abstract

Abstract This article explores the role of translation in forming and legitimizing a Kurdish cultural identity through diverse renderings in the Kurdish magazine Hawar launched by Celadet Alî Bedirxan between 1932 and 1943 in Damascus. It also sheds light on the tense relationship between Kurdish and Turkish cultures, which also impacted the translational and cultural aspects of the periodical. This relation has relatively improved from the late twentieth century onwards. My argument is that the composition of Hawar as a whole and translations in the periodical aimed to form a Kurdish cultural identity and legitimize it both for the Kurds and worldwide audience in the historical conditions of the 1930s and 1940s. This article will point out the pivotal position of translation in the composition of Hawar and the role played by Celadet Alî Bedirxan as an agent in this undertaking.