British Scholar Declines Georgia’s Writers’ House Award Over Political Concerns
British scholar and Kartvelologist Donald Rayfield has declined a Gratitude Award from the Writers’ House of Georgia, citing his dissatisfaction with the country’s political climate and the actions of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
“I am profoundly unhappy with what is happening in Georgia that I cannot accept any gift that is associated at all with the ruling party,” Rayfield said on March 11 at an event in London organized by Georgia’s Ministry of Culture, the Georgian Embassy in the U.K., and the Writers’ House of Georgia. He added that he hopes “the next generation can change things” in Georgia but is unsure how.
Rayfield, 83, a professor at Queen Mary University of London, is an expert in Russian and Georgian literature. He has closely followed Georgia’s history and political developments.
The award to him was to be presented by Ketevan Dumbadze, director of the Writers’ House of Georgia, whose appointment in 2023 by then Culture Minister Tea Tsulukiani sparked a backlash. Dumbadze, a former Georgian Dream MP, was one of the lawmakers who voted in favor of the controversial Foreign Agents Law that year. Her appointment prompted up to 100 Georgian writers, translators and publishers to boycott the Writers’ House.
Also Read:
- 04/09/2023 – Georgian Literary Community Boycotts the Ministry of Culture and House of Writers
- 11/08/2023 – Georgian Dream Faction Member Appointed Head of Writers’ House amid Writers’ Protests
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