A battle of the readers. The annual Abai readings kicked off in Kazakhstan. This year they will last until August 30. The organizers expect a record number of participants in this competition and plan to expand its geography with the help of online format. As before, applicants will need to shoot a video of an expressive reading of any of Abai’s works. Like last year, participants can publish their works not only on the official website of the library, but also on various social media with necessary hashtags. The organizers hope that adults will also take part in the competition now. The literary contest takes place for the fifth year. It is dedicated to the work of the great Kazakh philosopher Abai Kunanbaiuly. The main prize will be a souvenir book that was published to the 175th anniversary of the poet. Valuable prizes will be a pleasant addition.
“The main result will not just be the participation of domestic and foreign admirers of Abai’s work. The reader’s realization of involvement in Abai’s works through the book will be important for us too. As a result of last year, over 200 participants made it to the finals, each of whom, in their own manner of presentation of prose and poems in Kazakh, Russian and English languages managed to convey how interesting the works of the great Abai are,” said Botagoz Kaipova, Deputy Director of the Library of thr First President of Kazakhstan.
Translation by Saniya Sakenova
Editing by Galiya Khassenkhanova
