Uyghur poet and academic Aziz Isa Elkun gave an exclusive interview to the Crimean Tatar News Agency (Kırım Haber Ajansı) on 31 October 2025 (Full version of the interview in English).
Could you briefly introduce yourself? In your own words, who is Aziz Isa Elkun?
I am a Uyghur poet, author, and academic, born in Shayar County, in the heart of Uyghuristan (also known as East Turkistan, or officially the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China). I graduated from Urumchi University and later continued my studies at Birkbeck, University of London.
Since 2001, I have been living in exile in London. Among my fellow Uyghurs, I am known as a poet and writer devoted to preserving our language, culture, and identity. To the British public and the wider international community, I have become recognized as a cultural voice representing the Uyghur people- a nation facing systematic erasure in its homeland under the Chinese regime.
In addition to my literary work, I am an academic, human rights defender, and social justice activist who stands firmly against China’s ongoing genocide of the Uyghur people. Through my writing and research, I strive to safeguard the collective memory and spiritual heritage of my nation.
I am currently a researcher on the Maqam Beyond Nation project. Since April 2025, I have been serving as President of the Uyghur PEN Centre, and I am also a member of English PEN and PEN America. You can read my poetry, academic work, and other writings on my personal website: www.azizisa.org/en
You spent your childhood on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert. How did the silence of the steppe and the desert find its way into your poetry? How would you describe the imprint of your native land on your literary identity?
In my poetry, the Taklamakan Desert is my ink, and the sand becomes my verses. Without them, I could not write. They are the roots that no power on earth can uproot. My existence as a poet continues as long as the Taklamakan endures.
We Uyghurs have lived for millennia at the heart of this desert, where the sands conceal the remains of our ancient civilizations. I see it as my duty to resurrect that undying spirit through poetry. Like many national literatures, Uyghur poetry is deeply intertwined with the land- the Tarim Basin, the vast deserts, and the Tangritagh (Heavenly Mountains). These landscapes are the lifeblood of our culture, shaping our imagination, endurance, and sense of belonging.
As a writer living in exile, how does the longing for your homeland manifest itself in your works? Has living abroad deepened your creativity or has it made the process of writing more difficult?
For me, exile is another word for eternal longing. The longer I live in exile, the more deeply I feel that nostalgia is both my suffering and my source of inspiration. Poetry, in this sense, is a form of healing- a way to reduce my pain and to share this collective trauma with the world.
Writing in exile is not easy. After living in London for more than two decades, I have inevitably absorbed elements of British culture. I am far from the oasis towns and desert winds of Central Asia that once inspired my early poetry. Yet this distance has also given birth to a creative fusion: my poetry now bridges two worlds, blending Uyghur sentiment with broader human experiences understood by English-speaking readers. My inner world as a poet has changed, but the essence of my longing remains the same.
The Uyghurs are the people who gave civilization its very name, “Uygarlik.” As a poet, writer, musicologist, and researcher from this heritage, which authors, poets, or intellectuals have most influenced you, and in what ways have they shaped your thinking or writing?
The Uyghur literary tradition is vast and ancient. From the epic tales of Alp Ertunga and Oghuz Khan to the luminous works of Yusuf Khass Hajib, Ahmad Yugnaki, and the mystic poets of the Silk Road, our literature reflects both spiritual depth and intellectual sophistication.
Among modern influences, I am inspired by Abdurehim Ötkür, Lutpulla Mutellip, and other 20th-century Uyghur poets who combined patriotism, romanticism, and resistance in their works. Internationally, I admire poets such as Pablo Neruda from Chile, Rumi, and Mahmoud Darwish- writers who transformed suffering and exile into universal poetry. Their courage to speak truth to power continues to inspire my creative path.
As Crimea News Agency, we attach special importance to the preservation of cultural identity. In your view, are there historical or cultural parallels between the Crimean Tatars and the Uyghurs?
Absolutely. The Crimean Tatars and the Uyghurs share striking historical and cultural parallels. Both peoples have endured forced displacement, repression, and attempts at cultural erasure by powerful empires. Both have deep Turkic roots, rich oral traditions, and a profound love for poetry and music- traditions that have helped sustain their identities through centuries of adversity.
Preserving Uyghur culture and identity is vital for the next generation to learn and inherit our heritage. Since 2017, when China began its mass detention campaign, it is estimated that over three million Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples have been imprisoned in concentration camps. During the same period, the Chinese government systematically destroyed Uyghur-language books, including religious texts such as the Qur’an. The scale of this cultural and spiritual devastation is beyond imagination.
Motivated by an urgent need to preserve what remains of our literary heritage, I began collecting and restoring Uyghur books in my teenage years. As a result of this lifelong effort, the Aziz Isa Elkun Uyghur Literature Collection was established in 2024 at Princeton University Library in the United States. This rare archive includes literary, historical, and political works published between the 1940s and 2015.
In my writing- whether poetry, other artistic work, or academic research, I emphasize the etymological meaning of “Uyghur”- civilization (Uygarlik) and present it as a symbol of resilience for the entire Turkic world. I strive to help the English-speaking world understand the true meaning of the word Uyghur. I also aim to represent the Uyghur people as a vital part of the wider Turkic-speaking world’s cultural heritage.
My first major poetry anthology, Uyghur Poems, published by Everyman’s Library (Penguin Random House 2023), has reached a broad international readership. This anthology showcases the depth and continuity of Uyghur civilization through two thousand years of poetic and literary tradition- from the ancient epics of Alp Ertunga and Oghuz Khan to the tragic modern era marked by China’s genocide of the Uyghur people since 2017 (https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/457502/uyghur-poems-by-authors-various/9781841598307).
As an intellectual living in exile, how feasible is it to preserve language and culture within a diaspora environment? Could you share some examples from your cultural work in London?
Preserving our language and culture in exile is a difficult mission. The first generation of Uyghurs in London still maintains strong ties to their heritage, but the younger generation faces serious challenges. With fewer than a thousand Uyghurs living in London, and with English dominating everyday life, the danger of cultural assimilation is real.
For more than fifteen years, we ran a Sunday Uyghur language school for children, teaching them our language, history, and music. Sadly, as our community aged and families became more scattered, the school had to close.
With the aim of preserving Uyghur culture within the community and introducing it to the British public, I became a founding member of the London Uyghur Ensemble in 2006. The group has played a vital role in raising cultural awareness across the UK through a range of artistic and academic initiatives. Our mission was to keep the Uyghur voice alive- even far from our homeland.
The issue of East Turkistan is often framed internationally in terms of politics and human rights. Yet, are the Uyghur people also facing cultural repression? In your opinion, how can these struggles be more effectively conveyed to the world?
The ongoing cultural genocide is at the core of China’s campaign against the Uyghurs. The destruction of our language, literature, education, religion is part of the broader effort to erase our identity as a nation.
The Uyghurs embody Uygarlik (civilization) for the Turkic world. Alongside the international community and courageous allies, we will continue our struggle for freedom and independence, the foundation for preserving our nation.
The survival of Uyghur culture is inseparable from the Turkic world. If Turkic states and peoples wish to protect their heritage, they must stand politically in solidarity with Uyghurs and oppose the Chinese regime. Without the Uyghurs, the Turkic world cannot truly endure or flourish.
For this reason, it is essential for all Turkic nations and peoples to show genuine solidarity-beyond words and stand with the Uyghurs. Political action, cultural collaboration, and moral support are all vital. Without the survival of the Uyghurs, the concept of a shared Turkic civilization becomes incomplete.
How much attention do Western media and academia devote to the Uyghur issue? In your view, which weighs heavier- the world’s silence, or its indifference?
In recent years, there has been growing attention from Western media and academia. Numerous reports, testimonies, and documentaries have helped expose China’s crimes against humanity. The 2022 United Nations report confirmed that serious human rights violations are being committed in the Uyghur Region, amounting to possible crimes against humanity. Furthermore, the 2021 Uyghur Tribunal held in London concluded that China is committing genocide against Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples.
Several European and North American parliaments have also recognized the genocide officially. Yet, while Western institutions have shown some courage, the silence from the Muslim and Turkic world remains deafening. Their indifference is far more painful than Western ignorance. For us, the silence of our supposed brothers is the heaviest burden of all.
What are your personal goals for the future? Could you tell us about any new literary works, research projects, or cultural initiatives you are currently planning?
I am currently a researcher in the “Maqam Beyond Nation” project, funded by the European Research Council and UK Research and Innovation. The project explores interconnected musical traditions stretching from North Africa to Central Asia and examines how these traditions evolved under 20th-century nationalisms.
I have also completed my second anthology of contemporary Uyghur poetry, focusing on poets persecuted in today’s Uyghuristan. The manuscript has been submitted to a UK publisher and is expected to be released by the end of this year.
Here is a list of my published books:
- Imprisoned Souls: Poems of Uyghur Prisoners in China
Edited & translated by Aziz Isa Elkun . A Uyghur poetry anthology translated from Uyghur to English featuring the works of twenty-five Uyghur prisoners persecuted for writing poems and currently serving sentences in Chinese prisons in Uyghuristan / East Turkistan. Published by Hertfordshire Press 9 November 2025. ISBN-13 : 978-1918395006. https://amzn.eu/d/5rdhMXw
- “Uyghur Poems” Anthology
Edited and translated by Aziz Isa Elkun (with some contributions from other translators), this anthology was published by Everyman’s Library, an imprint of Penguin Random House, in November 2023. It introduces English-speaking audiences to the rich literary heritage of the Uyghurs, spanning 2,000 years of oral and written traditions. https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/457502/uyghur-poems-by-authors-various/9781841598307 - “Çimenkuş” (A Flower Bird)
Elkun’s debut poetry collection, Kar Çiçeği, translated from Uyghur to Turkish by Amina Wayit Sedef, was published by Önce Kitap Publishers in Türkiye in September 2024. The collection, composed primarily during Elkun’s years in London, poignantly captures the poet’s personal journey of exile and the pain of separation from his homeland. Through vivid and evocative language, the poems reflect the anguish of living away from his people and the broader tragic fate that the Uyghurs have faced in recent decades, highlighting themes of loss, resilience, and the enduring connection to one’s cultural roots.
https://www.astanayayinlari.com/cimenkus-aziz-isa-elkun-siir-kitabi-2024 - “Donay Deryasidin Orxun Boylirighiche” (The Journey From Danube River to the Orkhun Valley) in the Uyghur language. Published in 2012 in Türkiye, this book explores the promotion of democracy and freedom of expression among Uyghurs in Uyghuristan and in exile.
Contributed a chapter on “Music, Terror, and Civilizing Projects in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region” to The Routledge Companion to Music and Human Rights.
Co-authored a report titled “The Complicity of Heritage: Cultural Heritage and Genocide in the Uyghur Region” published by the Uyghur Human Rights Project in February 2023.
In early 2019, I produced a short documentary film, “An Unanswered Telephone Call”, depicting the ongoing sufferings of my family after China pursued a total blockade of international telephone calls between Uyghurs at home and abroad since 2017. You can also watch this documentary film from Elkun YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV5DhIq44A-qJMzLkpQ_Vig
Is there a poem- or perhaps a stanza- from your own life-inspired works that you would be willing to share with our readers in this interview?
Yes. I would like to share a poem titled “Roses.” It is dedicated to the Uyghurs who have been arrested or detained in the Chinese Communist Party’s 21st-century concentration camps.
The poem “Roses” was published in the Los Angeles Book of Review on 12 January 2022.
Since 2016, the Chinese government has detained over three million Uyghurs in what they euphemistically call ‘re-education centers,’ though they are widely known as concentration camps. In the midst of this heart-wrenching situation, I have lost all contact with my family in my homeland. In November 2017, I received the devastating news of my father’s passing. Tragically, just four years later, I discovered through Google Earth that my father’s resting place had been desecrated by the Chinese authorities. My father remained in his own grave for only 623 day. Despite these harrowing circumstances, I still cling to a glimmer of hope for my widowed elderly mother, believing she may still be alive.
This poem serves as both a deeply personal testament and a universal message to humanity: that life is sacred, and that peace and love remain our shared destiny.
Excerpt from “Roses”
The first rose I planted three years ago
To mark my father’s destroyed grave.
The second rose I planted
On Mother’s Day last year.
The third rose I planted for the unknown Uyghurs
Who survive inside the camps.
My roses are blossoming with hope,
Singing a song of freedom
Without waiting for the spring.
They remind us
How beautiful it is to be alive,
To live in peace in our beautiful world.
Finally, what message would you like to convey to Uyghur youth, Crimean Tatar youth, and, more broadly, to the younger generations across the Turkic world?
When I visited Crimea in 2012- two years before the Russian invasion. I had the honour of visiting Bakhchysarai and paying my respects at the tomb of Ismail Gaspirali. Standing there, I recalled his immortal words: “Dilde, fikirde, işte birlik” (“Unity in language, thought, and action”).
The Uyghurs and the Crimean Tatars are two bleeding wounds of the Turkic world, and both must be healed. Today, the Uyghur situation is tragically worse, but both nations share the same struggle for dignity and freedom.
The Tatars played a crucial role in modernizing education for the entire Turkistan in the 19th century. Their intellectual legacy must continue to inspire us. In this age of artificial intelligence, the real challenge is not technological but spiritual- to remember who we are and to support one another as one Turkic family.
As the old saying goes, “The wolves are strongest in a pack.” We must revive the spirit of Oghuz Khan, hear the call of the sacred mountain and sky of Ötüken, and never abandon our unity. I call on the youth of the Turkic world to share the pain of the Uyghurs and to take responsibility for helping them survive.
When we achieve unity in heart and purpose, the land of Turan where the Turkic people live will no longer be a place of tears – but of smiles, songs, and freedom.
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Published by Kırım Haber Ajansı in Turkish: