Aziz Isa Elkun

New Book Release –
Imprisoned Souls: Poems of Uyghur Prisoners in China

After more than five years of intense work, I’m truly delighted to share that my second Uyghur poetry anthology was published by Hertfordshire Press on 9 November here in the UK.

This book is very close to my heart. The poems come from my lifelong personal collection, digital archives, and many other sources. Some were even sent to me by the families of imprisoned Uyghur poets- precious lines they believe were written by their loved ones who are still suffering in Chinese prisons. I translated twenty-five imprisoned Uyghur poets work from Uyghur into English, many of which had never been translated before. With tireless effort and deep dedication, the book has finally come to life.

Any civilized society understands that writing poetry is not a crime. Now the ball is in the Chinese government’s court- these Uyghur poets must be freed from the cold prison cells where they’ve been unjustly held.

The book is 280 pages and published in hardcover. I warmly invite you to show your love and support for these persecuted voices. Listen to their souls, follow their rhythms, and let their words inspire you.

The book is now available to order online.

Book title:

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Aziz Isa Elkun, Poet & Writer
Researcher at SOAS, University of London

Published by Brussels Morning Newspaper 26 June 2024 11:27 Am

The Uyghurs love writing and reading poems; it is an essential part of Uyghur cultural expression and plays a vital role in the continuation of creativity and development of the Uyghur language, literature, and culture.
 
Since 2016, over three million Uyghurs and other Turkic people in the Uyghur homeland in China have been collectively persecuted and sent to the notorious Chinese internment camps in the Uyghur Region. Soon after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, with the political and military support of the Soviet Union, the so-called Chinese Liberation Army illegally occupied the Uyghur homeland of East Turkistan, also known as Uyghuristan. In 1955, it announced the founding of the “Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.” As a Uyghur living in exile, and a poet and advocator for freedom of speech and writing, my conscience forbids me from calling our Uyghur homeland, “Xinjiang”, which means “New Territories” in the Chinese language. In spite of ongoing persecution under Chinese rule, Uyghur writers sustained their rich cultural legacy, and Uyghur poetry played a significant role in keeping Uyghur language and literature alive, and expressing criticism of the oppressive Chinese regime.

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Edited by Aziz Isa Elkun
Translated by Aziz Isa Elkun and others
Published: 26/10/2023
EVERYMAN’S LIBRARY POCKET POETS
Penguin Random House

An unprecedented collection of poems spanning the rich two-thousand-year cultural legacy of the Uyghur people of Central Asia. EVERYMAN’S LIBRARY POCKET POETS.

The Uyghurs have a long and glorious history of poetry, dating from the oral epics of the second century BCE through the elegant love poetry of the medieval period and up to the present moment -and much of it has never before been translated into English. Uyghur poetry reflects the magnificent natural landscapes at the heart of the Silk Road region, with its endless steppes, soaring mountain ranges, and vast deserts, as well as its turbulent history. Turkic, Sufi, and Persian influences have shaped the poetic tradition over the centuries, and more recently the modernism of the twentieth century left its mark as well. In the face of the systematic persecution of the Uyghurs in China today, which has driven many of their poets into exile, including the editor and translator of this volume, Aziz Isa Elkun, who lives in London. Uyghur Poems is not only a remarkable one-volume tour of an ancient and vibrant poetic tradition but also a vital witness to a threatened culture.

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