The Black Sea slave trade, crucial during the 14th and 15th centuries, involved Genoese, Venetian, and Egyptian merchants. Hannah Barker explores this through various historical sources, revealing interconnected Mediterranean slavery practices and their socio-economic impacts.

Farewell, Aylis by Akram Aylisli, comprising three novellas and an essay, explores historic trauma in Azerbaijan through tales of sociopolitical upheaval, reflecting on the dehumanizing effects of Soviet and post-Soviet systems.

Shokoofeh Azar, an Iranian refugee in Australia, wrote 'The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree' in Persian. This novel, set post-1979 Iranian Revolution, was shortlisted for significant literary awards.

The article presents a rich narrative blending historical trauma, art, and family dynamics in Soviet Russia. It explores themes of silence, resilience, and the complex interplay of memory and identity through a dual narrative structure.