Books preserve memory of Rojava Revolution for future generations

Since the launch of the Rojava Revolution on July 19, 2012, it has been accompanied not only by weapons but also by pens. Writers, poets, and researchers have worked to turn events on the ground into books, poetry collections, novels, and studies. These works have become a living archive that preserves the names of the fallen, documents the details of popular resistance, and passes on the experience of the Autonomous Administration and the political, social, and cultural changes that accompanied it to future generations.

While battles were taking place in Kobani, Afrin, Serê Kaniyê, and other parts of North and East Syria, writers were collecting testimonies, documenting the stories of fighters and civilians, and translating their resilience into written pages that preserve the revolution's collective memory. Many of these publications have since become important references documenting a pivotal period in the region's history.

In this context, writer and poet Anahita Sino, from Serê Kaniyê, said the revolution brought about a fundamental transformation in the cultural scene. She explained that she began writing in Arabic in 1988 before later turning to writing in Kurdish at a time when publishing in the language was prohibited.

She said: "The revolution created many opportunities for writers in terms of writing, language, and education. We became able to publish our work in our mother tongue, protect the language, and document what happened. We may not have been able to document everything, but we played an important role despite limited resources and many obstacles."

She added that the Rojava Revolution was not only a military revolution but also a revolution for women in thought, culture, and literature. It enabled many female writers to make their voices heard through books and poetry collections after years of marginalization.

According to Sino, women writers were able to express their experiences as mothers, fighters, and activists, transforming the events of war and resistance into literary works that documented an entire chapter of the region's history.

In her own literary works, Sino addressed issues such as displacement, fallen fighters, women, and resistance. She said the revolution had a direct impact on her creative journey.

"A writer is a product of their society, and every stage they experience is reflected in their writing. We lived through the revolution day by day, so it was natural for it to shape both our personalities and our pens," she said.

She noted that before 2012, most writing focused on women and the homeland. After the revolution, however, new themes emerged, including fallen fighters, resistance, occupation, and the everyday experiences of society, which became the subjects of poems, novels, and books documenting the era.

For his part, writer and researcher of Kurdish and Rojava history Abdullah Qarah Man congratulated the people of the region on the anniversary of the July 19 Revolution, describing it as a historic milestone in which all segments of society, from children to the elderly, took part.

Qarah Man said the cultural movement had witnessed significant progress during the years of the revolution in poetry, short stories, novels, and historical studies. However, he stressed that this development still falls short of the scale of the revolution itself and requires greater efforts from writers and researchers.

Qarah Man explained that the history of Kurdistan has long been preserved through literature and art. During periods when written documentation was unavailable, history was passed down through songs and folk ballads. Today, however, books have become the most important means of preserving historical memory.

He said the revolution produced major events, including resistance, displacement, sacrifices, and the loss of thousands of lives, yet these experiences remain only partially reflected in published works.

"We have a great opportunity to document our history. The traces of the revolution are everywhere, but much of it has yet to find its way into books," he said.

He stressed that every battle and every act of resistance should be documented, arguing that what has been written about the Rojava Revolution so far does not reflect its true scale.

Speaking about his own experience, Qarah Man said that from the first day of the Turkish offensive on Afrin, he began collecting testimonies from local residents and wounded civilians while documenting the resistance. His efforts later resulted in the publication of his book, Resistance of the Era, which chronicles 58 days of resistance.

He added that he later continued documenting the resistance in Kobani and North Kurdistan, stressing that the next phase should focus on recording events in the Jazira region, Tishreen Dam, and the battles fought in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods, as well as other areas.

Qarah Man concluded by calling on writers and intellectuals to fulfill their responsibility toward the revolution.

"The revolution gave writers a broad space for expression. Now is the time to repay that by documenting everything that happened, so the memory of Rojava remains alive in books just as it remained alive on the ground, preserving for future generations the history of a period that marked a turning point in the region's history," he said.

ANHA