On 27.09.2024, in a 45 minute webinar hosted by Melbourne City of Literature, Mr. Mariwan Hasan who is a prolific author and an instructor at University of Slemani, participated as Slemani UNESCO City of Literature’s representative, presenting extensive knowledge in ecocriticism.
Participants of seven different UNESCO Creative Cities of Literature were present in the webinar, which was held for ten weeks; each week scholars, authors, and critics in the field would discuss the relationship between literature and the environment for a few hours. In this webinar, Slemani’s literary tradition was showcased, along with Mr. Hasan’s distinctive viewpoint focusing on the influence of ecocriticism on literary works in Kurdish and English cultures.
Mr. Hasan highlighted how literature mirrors environmental issues, and put the connections between local Kurdish customs and international literary trends under discussion and research. He considered having ecological consciousness in literary texts an evident necessity. He emphasized the important function that literature plays in promoting deep understanding of ecological challenges across cultures. He also demonstrated how literature can function as a medium for advocacy and transformation, as well as trigger reviewing the related literary customs, prioritizing ecological actions, and conducting research on the hardships related to that domain.