ŠERZOD ARTIKOV – PISAC KOJI NE POZNAJE GRANICE
Vi ste mladi, talentovani pisac. O čemu najčešće pišete u svojim knjigama?
U prošlosti sam komponovao poeziju. Kada sam bio student, bilo mi je zanimljivo da komponujem pesme na ljubavne teme. Tada sam počeo da preferiram prozu i napisao sam nekoliko eseja i kratkih priča. U poeziji deluje čovekova duša, dok u prozi um. Saosećam sa umom, zato se bavim prozom u svom stvaralaštvu. Moja proza je moj moto, moj status, moja reč koju želim da izgovorim svetu, ljudima, društvu. Volim da pišem o humanističkim temama, humanizam i globalno-socijalni problemi čovečanstva su mi uvek značajni, čak i ako je bolno i tragično pisati o njima. Verujem u humanizam i podučavam svoje čitaoce o tome. Pokušavam da prikažem pobedu humanizma u našim životima. Nema literature bez humanizma.
Kada ste počeli da pišete i šta vas je inspirisalo da krenete sa pisanjem?
Počeo sam da pišem sa 15 godina. U početku su me inspirisale knjige beletristike. Moji roditelji su čitali puno knjiga. Kod kuće sam ih sa divljenjem posmatrao i pomalo im zavideo. Tada sam takođe počeo da čitam knjige i postao zavisnik od knjiga poput njih. Prirodno, kada čitamo knjigu, imamo želju da nešto napišemo. Neke sprečava nedostatak talenta, a druge nespremnost za naporan rad. Imao sam i talenat i ljubav prema marljivom radu. Zahvaljujući njima komponovao sam poeziju, a zatim prešao na prozu, ali svoje pisanije nisam objavio do svoje 30. godine. Po prirodi sam perfekcionista i zbog toga sam dugo čekao da postanem pisac kakav sam želeo da budem.
Šta najčešće čitate? Imate li omiljenog pisca ili knjigu?
Čitanje za mene predstavlja veliku radost i uživam u tome. Uglavnom čitam beletristiku, memoare, dnevnike i pisma poznatih ljudi. Puno čitam, jer mi je kao piscu potrebno da bih stekao iskustvo i da bih se upoznao sa stilovima i razmišljanjima prethodnih pisaca. Ne čitam puno poezije, kao svoje omiljene pisce računam Leva Tolstoja, Dostojevskog, Čehova, Honorea Balzaka, Stefana Cvajga, Garsiju Markesa, Vilijama Foknera i Alberta Kamija. Zahvalan sam im na mnogo načina. Mnogo sam naučio od njih. Na primer, da oblikujem svoju stilistiku, kao pisac da se usredsredim na odabranu temu, sposobnost da opišem duševno stanje lika i tako dalje. Oni su moji učitelji. Od svetskih pisaca čitao sam Bajrona, Hajnea, Ljermontova, Jesenjina, Oktavija Paza, Halinu Posvjatovsku i druge. Moje omiljene knjige su „Rat i mir“ Lava Tolstoja i „Patrijarhova jesen“ Garsije Markesa.
Kakav je život jednog pisca u Uzbekistanu?
U Uzbekistanu je teško biti pisac ili pesnik. Naši časopisi i novine ne plaćaju tantijeme za materijal. Izdavači, takođe, ne plaćaju troškove za prvu knjigu (plaćaju samo drugo izdanje). Sistem autorskih prava je u žalosnom stanju, država praktično ne štiti autorska prava (postoje samo na papiru). Ovo je prvi bolni problem koji koči razvoj uzbekistanske književnosti. Uzbekistanski pisci i pesnici moraju da rade druge poslove da bi prehranili sebe i svoje porodice. Stoga im ostaje malo vremena za pisanje. Drugi veliki problem je nedostatak kvalitetnih književnih časopisa. Imamo samo četiri beletristička časopisa za pisce i pesnike. Ovo je smešno i tragično. U Uzbekistanu živi 35 miliona ljudi, a za njih postoje samo četiri časopisa koji govore o književnosti. Autore objavljuju jednom godišnje. Postavlja se pitanje: Šta bi pisac ili pesnik trebalo da radi u takvom književnom okruženju? Iskreno, još uvek nisam uspeo da pronađem odgovor.
Šta volite da radite u slobodno vreme?
Volim da gledam fudbal i lovac sam na kvalitetne filmove. Španski fudbalski klub Real Madrid je moj omiljeni tim i radujem se svakoj utakmici ovog velikog kluba. Filmovi režisera poput Tarkovskog, Bergmana, Felinija, Kurasave, Parajanova, Romana Polanskog su mi sjajni i gledam ih sa emocijom i saosećanjem. „Pijanista“ Romana Polanskog je moj omiljeni film.
Vaše pesme i priče su objavljene u brojnim zemljama širom sveta i prevedene su na mnoge jezike poput: engleskog, italijanskog, kineskog, srpskog itd. Sigurno ste veoma ponosni, a verujem i vaša porodica?
Moje pesme i kratke priče prevedene su na 21 jezik sveta i objavljene su u 42 zemlje, u raznim književnim časopisima, novinama i na veb portalima. Zaista se ponosim time. Zadovoljstvo mi je videti putovanja mojih književnih dela širom sveta i uvek sam zahvalan svojim prijateljima piscima i prevodiocima koji su mi pomagali i pomažu mi da ostvarim još veći uspeh. Naravno, svoja dostignuća uvek podelim sa roditeljima, oni im se veoma raduju.
Vi ste dokaz da umetnost povezuje ljude i da ne poznaje granice. Pretpostavljam da ste stekli puno prijatelja sa svih krajeva sveta, zahvaljujući svom književnom stvaralaštvu?
Umetnost i književnost povezuju ljude. One nam čine život lepšim, uz njih je život pun prijateljstva, mira i humanosti. Danas se puno svetskih pesnika udružilo na Fejsbuku, kroz poeziju pomažu jedni drugima, vršeći na taj način kulturnu razmenu. Na taj način ostvaruju saradnju, prevodeći i objavljujući jedni druge. Imam puno prijatelja u svim krajevima sveta, a pronašao sam ih zahvaljujući Fejsbuku i zbog toga što sam pisac.
Koji su vaši planovi za budućnost, radite li na nekoj novoj knjizi?
Imam puno planova za budućnost. Nedavno sam završio svoju novu knjigu sa esejima, koja će uskoro biti objavljena u Uzbekistanu. Nadam se da ću je do kraja godine imati u rukama. Knjiga se zove „Lepota koja nije spasila svet“. Sadrži 30 eseja. Pored toga, moj prvi roman „Letak“ biće objavljen na jesen. Sada sam fokusiran na njih i to su moji planovi za ovu godinu. U budućnosti bih želeo da objavim svoje knjige u SAD-u, Rumuniji i Izraelu.
Vi ste dobitnik priznanja “Globalni ambasador mira”, recite nam nešto o tome?
Diploma „Globalni ambasador mira“ se dodeljuje članovima Ikra fondacije. To je globalna društvena organizacija koja promoviše mir i ljudska prava širom sveta. Svaki globalni ambasador mira koga je ova organizacija nagradila mora da pokuša da promoviše mir i sačuva ljudska prava u svojoj zemlji.
Vaše priče su objavljene kod nas, na srpskom jeziku. Da li ste nekada bili u Srbiji?
Moja pripovetka „Knjiga o Markezu“ prevedena je na srpski jezik i objavljena u Srbiji septembra, prošle godine, na stranicama književnog časopisa Srbije „Petruska Nastamba“. Ove godine je objavljen i u književnom časopisu „Majdan“, iz Srbije. Nikada nisam bio u Srbiji i upoznao Srbe uživo, ali znam mnogo toga o Srbiji, Srbima i srpskoj književnosti. S velikim sam interesovanjem čitao romane srpskih pisaca Ive Andrića i Milorada Pavića pre nekoliko godina. Među savremenim piscima Srbije cenim talenat, književna dela i prijateljstvo Slavice Pejović i Milutina Đuričkovića. Maštam o tome da u budućnosti posetim Srbiju, jer sam čuo puno divnih stvari o lepom gradu, Beogradu.
Koju poruku biste poslali našim čitaocima i mladim piscima sa Balkana?
Želim im puno snažnog zdravlja i beskrajne sreće. Sada sve nacije žive u neobičnim životnim uslovima zbog pandemije. Nadam se da ćemo zajedno prevazići ovu teškoću i da će Zemlja uskoro ponovo biti puna radosti, sreće i mira.
SHERZOD ARTIKOV – A WRITER WHO KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES
You are young and talented writer. Tell us, what are your books about?
I have composed poetry in the past. When I was a student it was interesting for me to compose poems on love themes. Then I started to prefer prose and I wrote several essays and short stories. In poetry the human soul works, while in prose the mind works. I sympathize with the mind, that’s why I write prose in my creative work. My prose is my motto, my status, my word which I want to pronounce to the world, to people, to society. I like to write about humanist themes, humanism and global-social problems of humanity are always significant for me, even if it’s painful and tragic to write about them. I believe in humanism and I am teaching my readers about it. I am trying to show its victory in our lives. There is no literature without humanism.
When did you start writing and what inspired you to start?
I started writing at the age of 15. At first I was inspired by fiction books. My parents were bookish and read a lot of books. At home, I watched them with admiration and a little bit envied them. Then I also started reading books and became a book addict like them. Naturally, when we read a book, we have the desire to write something. Some are hindered by lack of talent and others by an unwillingness to work hard. I had both the talent and the love of hard work. Thanks to them I composed poetry and then moved on to prose. But I didn’t publish my stuff until I was 30, because I’m a perfectionist by nature and because of that I waited a long time to become the kind of writer I wanted to be.
What do you like to read the most? Do you have favorite writer or a book?
Reading is a great joy for me and I just enjoy it. But I like reading mostly fiction, memoirs, diaries and letters of famous people. I read a lot, because as a writer I need it to gain experience and to get acquainted with styles and thoughts of previous writers. I don’t read much poetry, because I’m a man of the mind and not of the soul. But I like it too. I count Lev Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Honore Balzac, Stefan Zweig, Garcia Marquez, William Faulkner and Albert Camus as my favourite writers. I am grateful to them in many ways and have a duty to honour them. I learned a lot from them. For example, to shape my stylistics, as a writer to focus on a chosen theme, the ability to describe a character’s state of mind and so on I have acquired thanks to them. They are my teachers. Among the poets of the world I read Byron, Heine, Lermontov, Yesenin, Octavio Paz, Halina Posvyatowska and others. My favourite books are Leo Tolstoy’s “The War and The Peace” and García Márquez’s “The Autumn of the Patriarch”.
What is it like to be a writer in the country Uzbekistan?
In Uzbekistan, it is difficult to be a writer or a poet. Our magazines and newspapers don’t pay royalties for material. Publishers also do not pay royalties for an author’s first book (they only pay for the second edition). Royalty system is in a deplorable state and copyright is practically not protected by the state (it is protected only on paper). This is the first painful problem that hinders the development of Uzbek literature. Uzbek writers or poets have to work in other fields to feed themselves and their families. Therefore, they have little time left to write essays or compose poetry. We do not pay a penny for these things. The second big problem is the lack of quality literary magazines, or their scarcity. We have only four fiction magazines for writers and poets. This is ridiculous and tragic. There are 35 million people in Uzbekistan, and for them there are only four magazines that talk about literature. They publish authors once a year. Here’s a problem: What should a writer or a poet do in such a literary environment? I honestly still haven’t been able to find an answer.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I love watching football and I’m a hunter of quality movies. Spanish football club Real Madrid is my favorite team and I look forward to every game of this great club. About movies I’m a big hunter. Films by directors like Tarkovsky, Bergman, Fellini, Kurosawa, Parajanov, Roman Polanski are great for me, and I watch them with emotion or compassion. Roman Polanski’s „The Pianist“ is my favorite movie.
Your poems and stories were published in different countries and translated to many languages, like English, Italian, Chinese, Serbian etc. You must be very proud, and your family as well?
My poems and short stories were translated into 21 languages of the world and published in 42 countries literary magazines, newspapers and websites. I am really proud of it. It is a pleasure to see the travel of my literary works around the world and I am always grateful to my poet and translator friends who helped and is helping me to reach these achievements. Of course, I always share my achievements with my parents and they would be happy of them.
You are proof that art connects people and knows no boundaries. I guess you made a lot of friends from all over the world, thanks to your literary work?
Art and literature connect people. They make our lives more beautiful and filled with friendships, peace and humanity. Today, many world poets are united in Facebook with their poetry and they help each other through cultural exchange, cooperation, translation and publishing. We are united and thanks to this cooperation I have many friends in every corner of the world.
What are your plans for the future, are you maybe working on another book?
I have a lot of plans in future. I have recently finished my new book, complete of my essays and it will be released soon in Uzbekistan. I hope until the end of this months I will take it on my hand. I called it as “The Beauty which did not save the world”. It includes 30 essays. Besides, my first novel “The leaflet” will be published in autumn. Now I am focused on them and they are my basic plans for this year. In future I would like to publish my books in the USA, Romania and Israel.
You are global peace ambassador, tell us something about it?
The diploma “Global peace ambassador” will be given for members of Iqra Foundation. It is a global social organization which promotes peace and save human rights around the world. Every global peace ambassador who awarded by this organization must try and make attempt for promoting peace and saving human rights in his or her country. This is policy of the organization and duty each of the members.
You were included in some books in Serbian language, have you ever been in Serbia or met some Serbs alive?
My short story “The book of Marquez” was translated into Serbian and published in Serbia last year, in september, on the pages of the literary magazine of Serbia “Petruska Nastamba”. This year it has been recently published in another literary magazine of Serbia “ Majdan”. I have never been in Serbia and never met Serbs alive. But I know a lot about Serbia, Serbian people and Serbian literature. I read novels of the Serbian writers Ivo Andric and Milorad Pavic with a great interest some years ago. Among contemporary writers of Serbia I appreciate talent,literary works and friendship of Slavica Pejovic and Milutin Djurikovic. I dream to visit Serbia one day, because I heard a lot of wonderful things about the beautiful city, Belgrade.
