Georgia: The Georgian Ministry of Culture and Sports has announced a series of events to commemorate the 115th birth anniversary of Makvala Mrevlishvili, one of the country’s most beloved children’s poets.
Makvala Mrevlishvili was born on February 14, 1909, in Sighnaghi, a town in the eastern region of Kakheti. She studied philology at Tbilisi State University and later worked as a writer, editor, researcher, and teacher. She published her first collection of poems, “The Nine-Eyed Sun”, in 1938 and wrote over 20 books of poetry and prose for children and adults.
Her poems are known for their lyrical, playful, and imaginative style, often featuring animals, plants, and natural phenomena as characters. Some of her most famous poems include “The Bird That Sings for Me”, “The Little Mouse and the Moon”, “The Rainbow and the Rain”, and “The Snowman and the Sun”. Her works have been translated into several languages and adapted into songs, cartoons, and plays.
Mrevlishvili received many awards and honours for her contribution to Georgian literature and culture, such as the Shota Rustaveli State Prize, the Order of the Badge of Honour, the Order of the Red Banner of Labour, and the Yakob Gogebashvili Medal. However, she always said that her greatest reward was the love and admiration of her young readers.
Mrevlishvili passed away on September 5, 1992, and was buried at the Didube Pantheon in Tbilisi. Her legacy lives on in the hearts and minds of generations of Georgians who read her poems.
The Georgian Ministry of Culture and Sports has organized various activities to celebrate Mrevlishvili’s life and work, such as exhibitions, lectures, readings, workshops, and contests. The ministry has also launched a website dedicated to Mrevlishvili, where visitors can learn more about her biography, bibliography, and achievements and read and listen to some of her poems.
The ministry invites all Georgians and friends of Georgia to join the celebration and pay tribute to one of the most influential and beloved figures in Georgian children’s literature.
