Nigar Kocharli ( az, Nigar Köçərli, born 15 October 1975) is the
CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
and owner of the Ali and Nino
bookstore
Bookselling is the commercial trading of books which is the retail and distribution end of the publishing process. People who engage in bookselling are called booksellers, bookdealers, bookpeople, bookmen, or bookwomen. The founding of librari ...
chain
A chain is a serial assembly of connected pieces, called links, typically made of metal, with an overall character similar to that of a rope in that it is flexible and curved in compression but linear, rigid, and load-bearing in tension. A c ...
and publishing house, and founder of the National Book Award of Azerbaijan.
Kocharli graduated from the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of
Baku State University.
In 1997-1999, she was the representative of a foreign company in Azerbaijan, and in 1999-2001 she worked in a
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...
project.
Since 2001 Kocharli started to run a book business. On August 17, 2003, Kocharli opened the first Ali and Nino,
bookstore with an investment of $600. Currently, "Ali and Nino" bookstores chain consists of 10 bookstores, as well as the www.alinino.az e-shop.
Soon after opening the bookstores, she founded the National Book Award, aiming to promote modern
Azerbaijani literature
Azerbaijani literature ( az, Azərbaycan ədəbiyyatı) is written in Azerbaijani, a Turkic language, which is the official state language of the Republic of Azerbaijan, where the North Azerbaijani variety is spoken. It is also natively spoken ...
and support local authors.
Kocharli also established an online bookstore selling books in
Azerbaijani,
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
,
Russian and
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
, as well as founding Ali and Nino Publishing House, which translates and publishes
classics
Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...
and contemporary literature, including the novels of
Khalid Hosseini.
Family
She is Fridun Kocherli's niece.
She is the niece of
Tofig Kocherli.
She is the wife of Shahbaz Khuduoglu.
Activities
National Book Award - It is the first independent literary project of Azerbaijan. It was founded by Nigar Kocherli in 2005.
Support for women's entrepreneurship
Alinino.az website, which has been actively selling online for more than ten years in Azerbaijan, is implementing a project aimed at social support for women entrepreneurs. The site provides an opportunity for women entrepreneurs operating in all parts of Azerbaijan and engaged in small business to present their products for sale on Alinino.az marketplace completely free of charge.
"Ali and Nino" Publishing House
"Ali and Nino" Publishing House is an independent Azerbaijani publishing house founded in 2005. Modern and classic works of the world and Azerbaijan, children's literature, etc. presents publications to Azerbaijani readers
National Book Fair
The National Book Fair was founded in 2020 and is a book fair of independent publishing houses and booksellers. It is held twice a year. Last time it was held in Icherisheher in 2023. Founders of the exhibition - Shahbaz Khuduoglu and Nigar Kocherli.
Awards
On May 4, 2023, Kocharli was awarded the rank of Knight of the French Order of Arts and Letters (Ordre des Arts et des Lettres).
References
External links
Official website
1975 births
Businesspeople from Baku
Booksellers (people)
Living people
{{Azerbaijan-business-bio-stub