Abdulla Shaig devoted 60 years of his life to multifaceted literary activity. While his distinctive stories, plots and characters have enriched Azerbaijani romanticism, Shaig’s observations of and an insight into life also made him a prominent author of realism.
His romantic poems such as Bir quş (Bird), Yad et! (Remember!), Niyə uçdu? (Why did it fly away?), Bir nəğmə (One Song), Ülkər (Ulkar), Bir ulduza (To A Star) were written alongside those devoted to the idea of unified, spiritual, and indivisible Turan, including Vətənin yanıq səsi (Exhausted Call of Motherland), Arazdan Turana (From Araz to Turan), Marş (March), Müsavat (Musavat) dedicated to the main political party of the Azerbaijani Turks, and Neçin böylə gecikdin? (Why are you so late?).
Abdulla Shaig’s contribution to literature covers most of its genres. He is the author of short stories Məktub yetişmədi (Undelivered Letter), Köç (Encampment), Pirin kəraməti (Miraculous Sanctuary), Hitlerin yuxusu (Hitler’s Dream), stories Xasay (Khasay) and Dursun (Dursun) and novels Əsrimizin qəhrəmanları (Heroes of Our Time), Araz (Araz) and İki müztərib yaxud əzab və vicdan (Two Martyrs, or Suffering and Conscience).
His appointment in 1939 as Head of Literature Department in Maxim Gorky Young Spectators Theater shaped him as a playwright. Shaig revived the monotonous repertoire of the theatre with his plays such as Vətən (Motherland), Eloğlu (Son of The Nation), Qaraca Qız (Dark skinned Girl), Aydoğdu (Moon Has Risen), Nüşabə (Nushaba), Aldanmı şulduzlar (Fooled Stars), Yazıya pozu yoxdur (Never Write What You Dare Not Sign).
Abdulla Shaig has made an indispensable contribution to education and enlightenment in Azerbaijan. Consistent efforts by Shaig and some of his colleagues resulted in opening of the first school classes in Azerbaijani language, and the Exemplary School established in the beginning of 1920s on the basis of these first national classes played critical role in training qualified national personnel in Azerbaijan.
Abdulla Shaig authored and co-authored nearly 20 language and literature textbooks in Azerbaijani language.
Abdulla Shaig is widely known as children’s author. Generations of Azerbaijani children have known by heart Shaig’s children’s poems Tıg-Tıgxanım (Lady Tig-Tig), Yaxşı arxa (Good Friend), Tülkü həccə gedir (Fox Goes on a Pilgrimage), Xoruz (Rooster), Keçi (Goat), Uşaq və dovşan (A Child and a Hare).
His multifaceted work included researching and writing biographies of his colleagues and contemporaries.
Shaig was also a scholar who studied folklore. He authored one of the first articles on oral tradition and has re-established historical and logical links between folklore and written literature. In his works Shaig often used folkloristic motives and plots.
Shaig had extensive accomplishments in translating works of great authors. His first translations were done during his study years at Yusif Ziya school in Khorasan.

By Arzu Hajiyeva
PhD in philology