Afag Masud () (born 3 June 1957, Baku) is an Azerbaijani writer, and playwright. She has been honored with the title of PeopleâÂÂs Writer, Honored Art Worker, a full member of PeterâÂÂs Academy of Art and Science, a full member of the European Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Literature, and a member of the Georgian Writers Association. Board Chair of the Azerbaijan Translation Centre and editor-in-chief of the âÂÂKhazarâ World Literature Magazine. playwright, Honored Art Worker, "Humay" award winner, chief editor of "Khazar" world literature magazine, recipient of the Personal Presidential Pension of the Republic of Azerbaijan (2025).
Afag Masud was born on 3rd June 1957 into an intellectual family in Baku. She graduated in journalism from Baku State University in 1979. Worked as an editor and editorial board member for Azerbaijanfilm Studio (1979âÂÂ1986), and Director of âÂÂAzerbaijantelefilmâ Studio (1986âÂÂ1988). In 1989âÂÂ2014, her positions included: Chair of the Republican Centre of Translation and Literary Relations, and editor-in-chief of the âÂÂKhazarâ World Literature Magazine.
She was appointed Director of the Translation Centre under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Azerbaijan Republic by Decree 501 of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev dated 16th May 2014, and Board Chair of the Azerbaijan State Translation Centre by the Presidential Order 110 dated 18th May 2018.
She is the author of novels, plays, essays, and short stories.
Her works, interviews, and articles have been issued in publishing houses and media in many countries, and published on cultural and literary portals.
She is the author of such plays, as âÂÂAt DeathâÂÂs DoorâÂÂ, âÂÂHe Loves MeâÂÂ, âÂÂGetting to LeaveâÂÂ, âÂÂWoman under a TrainâÂÂ, âÂÂKarbalaâÂÂ, and âÂÂMansur Al-Hallaj.â The plays âÂÂAt DeathâÂÂs DoorâÂÂ, âÂÂHe Loves Meâ have been staged in the State (Theatre Director â Vagif Ibrahimoghlu), and the play âÂÂWoman under a Trainâ have been staged in the Academic National Drama Theatre (Theatre Director âÂÂMehriban Alakbarzade.)
Her works âÂÂThe Sparrowsâ (Television Director â Eyvaz Valiyev), âÂÂThe Partyâ (Television Director â Tariyel Valiyev) have been made into television dramas, and âÂÂNightâ (Film Director â Teymur Guliyev), âÂÂPunishmentâ (Film Director â Mehriban Alakbarzade), and âÂÂThe Death of the Rabbitâ (Film Director â L. Najafzade) - into television movies.
She has translated into Azerbaijani a number of foreign works, such as the novels âÂÂAutumn of the Patriarchâ by Gabriel GarcÃÂa Márquez, âÂÂThe Web and the Rockâ by Thomas Wolfe, tazkira books by Muhammad Nasifi, Abu Hamid al-GhazÃÂlë, Ibn Arabi, and Jalal ad-Din Rumi. The reading and discussion of the novel âÂÂProcessionâ in German were held at the Berlin Literary House in 1994.
In 2000, a doctoral dissertation from the University of Vienna on her literary creativity was defended (Sena Dogan âÂÂFemale Writers in European Oriental StudiesâÂÂ).
In 2004, the radio play âÂÂDie Sperlingeâ (âÂÂThe SparrowsâÂÂ), based on the motives of the same story, was broadcast on Vienna radio.
She is also famous for translating works by authors such as Franz Kafka, Guy de Maupassant and Gabriel GarcÃÂa Márquez into Azeri. She currently works as the editor-in-chief of the Azerbaijani literary magazine Khazar.