Irakli Kakabadze
- Georgia -
Irakli Kakabadze was born in 1982. He got his education at Theological Seminary, Tbilisi and St. Petersburg state universities. He is a teacher and was an editor of the magazine and online newspaper Mastsavlebeli (teacher) for a number of years.
Kakabadze is an author of poetry and prose collections: Letters and Wire Fences (2010), Iaki Kabe – Tankas (2012), The State by a Gallop (2013), Ellipsis (2015), Book of Exodus (2018), Amaghleba Street (2020) and others.
He also translates poetry from Turkish language to Georgian. He has translated authors such as Nâzım Hikmet, Orhan Veli and Lale Müldür.
His book Iaki Kabe – Tankas was a national bestseller in 2013. His works have been translated to English, Turkish, Arabic, Lithuanian, French and Belarus languages. Irakli has participated in a number of literary festivals and programs. He also is an activist and advocates for human rights and freedom of speech.
Kakabadze currently lives in Istanbul. He is the founder of Georgian culture center Galaktioni and Georgian diasporic society in Istanbul. He teaches Georgian language in universities and other educational centers.
Turkish translation of his Book of Exodus was listed as a bestseller by Turkish bookshop chain Pandora in 2022.
Iaki Kabe is the authors PEN name under which he has published series of Tankas. He was initially publishing them in different periodicals together with translations of Japanese poetry. He later included 100 poems in the collection published in 2012, honoring an ancient Japanese tradition of 100 poem anthologies. These are not simply nature or eco lyrics dedicated to snowy mountains or overflown rivers. His tankas are a bouquet of poetic images that is a part of reality, life itself and does not separate from reality. With social poetry in the form of Japanese aesthetics Iakli Kabe makes this lyrical form natural and inherent for Georgian readers.
Poetry
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About a goodbye / ერთი დამშვიდობების შესახებ
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A lesson for the poet / გაკვეთილი პოეტისთვის
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Spring. Prague / გაზაფხული. პრაღა
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/ (Untitled)
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Beslan / ბესლანი
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/ (Untitled)
