Ramina Launches the “Çolbirr Prize in Kurdish Linguistic Studies” Honouring the Legacy of scholar Bilal Hassan
Ramina Books in London, with the generous support of the family of the late Kurdish writer and linguist Bilal Hassan (Çolbirr), has announced the launch of the annual Çolbirr Prize in Kurdish Linguistic Studies.
The award is dedicated to honouring researchers and writers based in Syria who contribute to the preservation and development of the Kurdish language through linguistic research, lexicography, and studies of cultural heritage.
The prize, valued at 1,000 US dollars, will be awarded each year on 20 September, the anniversary of Çolbirr’s passing. In addition, Ramina Books has pledged to publish a work by the winner in the fields of language, lexicography, or heritage.
The judging panel for the inaugural edition comprises:
- Lawin Sheikho: poet and translator
- Hussein Jammo: writer and journalist
- Jian Badrakhan: writer and human rights activist
- Abdullah Mezar: writer and translator
On this occasion, Haitham Hussein, General Director of Ramina Books in London, said:
“The launch of this prize is a tribute to a towering figure in Kurdish culture, and an embodiment of our commitment as a publishing house to support efforts that safeguard and advance the Kurdish language and heritage. We hope the award will serve as a bridge between Çolbirr’s legacy and the creativity of new generations.”
Jian Badrakhan, son of the late scholar and member of the jury, added:
“My father regarded the Kurdish language as identity, memory, and a means of survival. Today, through this prize, we continue his mission and offer researchers and writers a strong incentive to follow the path he carved with his dedication and determination.”
About Bilal Hassan (Bavî Hozan / Çolbirr)
Bilal Mahmoud Hassan was born in 1933 in the village of Xelalka in the Afrin region of Syrian Kurdistan, into a rural family closely tied to Kurdish culture and identity. His father was Mahmoud Kosa (Hassan), and his mother Maryam Abdul Majid. He received his early schooling in his village, later continuing his studies with Rashid Hemo, one of the seven founders of the Kurdistan Democratic Party – Syria (1957), from whom he learned the Kurdish language and its dialects. This formative education helped shape his linguistic and intellectual character.
Political Life
Hassan entered politics at an early age, joining the Syrian Communist Party in the late 1940s before moving to the Kurdistan Democratic Party – Syria in 1957. During the Syrian–Egyptian union, he oversaw the party’s organisation in the Kurd Mountain (Çîyayê Kurmênc), moving clandestinely between villages. It was then that he acquired the nom de guerre “Çolbirr”.
In 1960, he lit the first Newroz fire in Western Kurdistan, on Mount Khurk, earning him the title “Hero of Newroz”. In 1970 he attended a meeting with Syrian president Ahmad al-Khatib alongside Kurdish writer and poet Cigerxwîn, Aziz Dawud and others. In 1979 he was elected to head an association in Germany, where he lived for about a year at that time.
Cultural and Literary Career
Hassan’s name became inseparable from Kurdish heritage, language, and culture, combining political struggle with intellectual endeavour. Later known as Bavî Hozan (“Father of Hozan”, after his son), he produced significant works on proverbs, wisdom, and dictionaries. In 1968–69, with support from the poet Cigerxwîn, he co-founded the Kurdish journal Çolistan, which continues publication to this day.
Selected Works
He enriched the Kurdish library with a number of major works, including:
Pend û Şîret (1995)
Pend û Peng (2008).
Pîr û Pendî (2012), a monumental collection of around 20,622 Kurdish proverbs across 759 pages.
Ferhenga Kurdî–Erebî (Kurdish–Arabic Dictionary, 70,000 entries, 2016)
Termên Rêzimana Kurdî (Kurdish Linguistic Terms, 2017)
Heft ji Hejmarên Hêzdar (2020)
Ferhenga Çolbir (Çolber Arabic–Kurdish Dictionary, 2022)
Bîranînên Çolbirr (2025)
Unpublished works include a Kurdish–Kurdish dictionary and an as-yet-unprinted autobiography titled Jînenîgarî.
Awards and Recognition
In 2013 Hassan received the Cigerxwîn Prize in Bochum, Germany, in recognition of his literary and cultural contributions to Kurdish scholarship. He was also honoured by numerous Kurdish organisations, including the German branch of the Kurdish Democratic Unity Party.
Personal Life and Residence
He married Rozhin, daughter of the celebrated poet Cigerxwîn, and together they had five children: Hozan, Rîzana, Jian, Rola, and Manî. Since 2004, Hassan lived in Germany, where he continued his cultural activities until his passing.
Legacy
Bilal Hassan embodied a unique synthesis of political activism and cultural preservation. From igniting the historic Newroz fire in 1960 to producing encyclopaedic works of proverbs and lexicons, he remained a steadfast symbol of the struggle to safeguard Kurdish language and culture for future generations.