The Quarry follows two powerful men building empires in a Soviet quarry town, exploring the intertwined lives of thieves, villagers, and families caught between criminal codes and collapsing political power. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

A novel is a bridge born in the writer’s imagination, thrown from the past into the future. It is the expression of the time lived. What happens in Azerbaijan is a reflection of what happens on the Absheron Peninsula and in Baku. When you look at the country’s hundred-year history, you witness this clearly. This is not a crime novel. Through the confrontation of two families and their ruthless struggle, the book portrays the collapse of political power, the fall of the Russian-Soviet Empire, and the decline of a colony.

Sani Absheronski and Malikajdar represent two kinds of power. How did you build their contrast?  

I wrote about real events. The characters in the novel are not fictional out of nowhere; each has a prototype. To express their contrasts, I turned to Zoroastrianism. Let me tell you that in the lands where we once lived, Zoroastrian thought once prevailed. The god of evil was Ahriman, and the god of good was Hormuzd. There was an eternal struggle between these two deities. In my novel, Sani represents evil, while Malikajdar represents good. They gathered around themselves individuals aligned with their own nature. This creates diversity, dynamism, and strong contrasts within the events.

The novel explores loyalty in complex ways. What does loyalty mean in this world?

The foundation of humanity rests on loyalty. In society, in families, among people, between states, in religion, in science—even in the animal world—loyalty holds great importance. When wolves or dolphins lose their mate, they do not approach another. When a marriage contract is made, a vow of loyalty is given before God. When friends make a pact, loyalty is spoken of. Agreements between states are a demand for loyalty. If there is loyalty, there is humanity. If there is none, there is no humanity.

What is the next book that you’re working on, and when can your fans expect it out?

The novel I recently completed is titled “At the Fortieth Latitude.” It discusses the collapse of the Soviet Empire, economic hardships, the freedom movement, chaos, youth unemployment in the country, emigration abroad, love and regret, and loyalty. It also speaks about the abilities of our young people who realize themselves abroad.

I am thinking about two more novels. But since their outlines are not yet drawn and they are still in an amorphous state, I cannot speak about them yet. God willing, we will complete them.