Hamid Ismailov: A Retrospective Symposium

Central Asian literature taps into deep wellsprings of Islamic philosophy and Persianate poetry. Over the last two hundred years – years of colonization and revolution, authoritarianism and decolonization – it has developed in conversation with Russian, Western, and Chinese traditions. Hamid Ismailov, the foremost contemporary Central Asian author, brings together all these traditions in his prolific oeuvre, including many novels and collections of poetry. Born in Kyrgyzstan, he began his writing career in Uzbekistan and now lives in political exile in the Czech Republic. His works have been published in Uzbek, Russian, French, German, English, Turkish, and other languages. This retrospective symposium brings together leading critics and translators of Ismailov’s work in the West today.
2:30-3:30pm | Panel 1: Critics
Samuel Hodgkin (Yale University)
Hana Stankova (Yale University)
Leah Feldman (University of Chicago)
Donohon Abdugafurova (Emory University)
3:00-4:00pm | Panel 2: Translators
Carol Ermakova
Robert Chandler
Shelley Fairweather-Vega
4:15-5:30pm | Reading and Q&A with Hamid Ismailov
Location: 212 York St., Rm 106
Register to attend on Zoom Here: https://tinyurl.com/hamid-ismailov
In-person RSVP - Only Open to the Yale Community Register Here: https://bit.ly/REEESEvent-Registration
SPONSORED BY THE RUSSIAN, EAST EUROPEAN AND EURASIAN STUDIES PROGRAM AT THE MACMILLAN CENTER, THE EDWARD J. AND DOROTHY CLARKE KEMPF MEMORIAL FUND, COUNCIL ON MIDDLE EAST STUDIES, THE DEPARTMENT OF NEAR EASTERN LANGUAGES AND CIVILIZATIONS, THE DEPARTMENT OF SLAVIC LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES, AND THE YALE TRANSLATION INITIATIVE