Famous Azerbaijani Poets

Imadaddin Nasimi was an Azerbaijani Ḥurūfī poet who wrote in Persian, Azerbaijani, and Arabic. He is counted among the greatest and most influential Turkic mystical poets of the 14th and 15th centuries. His work has influenced many Turkic language authors and poets such as Khata'i, Fuzûlî, and Pir Sultan Abdal. Imadaddin Nasimi's life and career inspired the 1973 biopic Nesimi.   

Iranian Azerbaijani author and philosopher Mirza Fatali Akhundov was the first literary critic and realist writer from his country. He developed the Azerbaijani alphabets and script. The 19th-century author is also remembered as the pioneer of atheism and nationalism in his country. He also criticized Islam and other religions.

Khurshidbanu Natavan was an Azerbaijani poet and philanthropist. Regarded as one of the most prominent lyrical poets of Azerbaijan, Natavan was best known for her lyrical ghazals. Also a well-known philanthropist, Khurshidbanu Natavan worked towards promoting the cultural and social development of Karabakh. She is credited with building an aqueduct, which relieved the townsfolk of their water problem.

Bakhtiyar Vahabzadeh was an Azerbaijani dramatist, poet, translator, and lyricist. Counted among the greatest poets of Azerbaijan, Vahabzadeh received several prestigious awards such as the Azerbaijan SSR state prize in 1974. Bakhtiyar Vahabzadeh also served as a politician and college professor.

Huseyn Javid was an Azerbaijani playwright and poet. He is best remembered as one of the most important exponents of romanticism movement in Azerbaijani literature. A couple of memorial museums of Huseyn Javid have been established in Azerbaijan to honor his contribution to Azerbaijani literature.

Ahmad Javad penned the national anthem of Azerbaijan, which was used from 1918 to 1920 in the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan and has been has been reinstated since 1991. He was imprisoned and killed for propagating ideas that were considered to against the Communist Soviet system.

Jafar Jabbarly was an Azerbaijani poet, playwright, director, and screenwriter. He is credited with establishing the art of screenwriting in Azerbaijan. Two of his well-known plays, Almaz and Sevil, were made into films. Jafar Jabbarly died at the age of 35 due to heart failure.

Soviet Azerbaijani poet and playwright Suleyman Rustam is remembered for his works such as Armless Hero and Mother and a Postman. He served as the chief editor of Edebiyyat Qazeti and was a Communist Party member, too. He also won honors such as the Stalin State Prize.

Sabir Rustamkhanli is an Azerbaijani philologist and poet. He has written more than 30 books in the Persian and Russian languages. One of the most important members of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan, Sabir Rustamkhanli also serves as the chief of the Civic Solidarity Party.

Natallia Arsiennieva was a Belarusian poet, playwright, and translator. She is credited with authoring the lyrics to the famous hymn, Mahutny Boža. After the Second World War, Natallia Arsiennieva also worked as an editor for the popular newspaper, Biełarus.

Aghabeyim agha Javanshir was an Azerbaijani poet who wrote under the pseudonym Aghabaji. She is also remembered as a wife of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar, who reigned as the second Shah of Qajar Iran from 1797 to 1834. Renowned for her intellect, Aghabeyim agha Javanshir was one of the Shah's favorite wives.