Hamid Ismailov

Uzbekistan

About

Hamid Ismailov is an Uzbek novelist, poet, and journalist born in 1954 in Tokmok, in what was then the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic. He grew up in Uzbekistan and became a prominent literary voice whose work explores Central Asian history, cultural identity, political repression, and the experience of exile. Writing in Uzbek and Russian, Ismailov has produced novels, poetry, short stories, and literary criticism, often combining historical events with folklore, philosophical reflection, and experimental storytelling. In 1992, Ismailov left Uzbekistan amid increasing political pressure, eventually settling in London in 1994. His books were subsequently banned in his homeland. He worked for the BBC World Service for many years, including as head of its Central Asian service, while continuing his literary career. His best-known works include The Railway (2006), The Underground (2015), Of Strangers and Bees (2019), and The Devil’s Dance (2018; English translation published in 2019). The Devil’s Dance, which explores the life of Uzbek writer Abdulla Qodiriy during Stalin’s purges, won the 2019 EBRD Literature Prize. Ismailov’s fiction has been translated into numerous languages and is recognised for bringing Central Asian histories and experiences to international readers. In Gaia, Queen of Ants (English translation, 2020), Ismailov blends political satire, Sufi philosophy, and mythology to explore exile, identity, and the lasting effects of Soviet power.

Books on TheBookRoads

All genres Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Fiction Poetry

All themes Identity & Belonging Freedom & Resistance Society & Class Spirituality & Faith

Newest first Oldest first

The Railway

In the fictional Uzbek town of Gilas, situated along the ancient Silk Road, a railway station becomes the centre of an extraordinary tapestry of human lives. Spanning much of the twentieth century, The Railway follows a diverse community of Uzbeks, Russians, Persians, Jews, Koreans, Tatars, and other ethnic groups whose lives intersect amid the upheavals of modern Central Asian history. Among its colourful inhabitants are an alcoholic intellectual, a Russian Orthodox priest, a formidable police chief, and an elderly moneylender. Through their stories, Hamid Ismailov captures a society caught between tradition and modernity, religious beliefs and revolutionary ideology, and local loyalties and outside influences. The arrival of the railway represents both opportunity and disruption, connecting this isolated community to a rapidly changing world while transforming its social structures. Blending humour, folklore, philosophical reflection, and historical observation, Ismailov creates a richly layered portrait of a multicultural society confronting the consequences of imperial expansion and Soviet rule. The novel offers a distinctive perspective on Central Asia’s complex cultural heritage and the profound changes that shaped the region during the twentieth century.

2006 Uzbekistan

The Devils' Dance

The Devils' Dance

In 1937, during Stalin’s Great Terror, the celebrated Uzbek writer Abdulla Qodiriy is arrested by the Soviet secret police and imprisoned in Tashkent. Facing brutal interrogations and the constant threat of execution, he seeks refuge in his imagination, attempting to reconstruct the historical novel he was writing before his arrest. His unfinished work tells the story of Oyxon, a nineteenth-century enslaved girl who rises to prominence in the courts of Central Asian khans, only to become entangled in a dangerous world of political rivalries, forced marriages, and imperial intrigue. As Qodiriy develops Oyxon’s story in his mind, the boundaries between his fictional world and his own terrifying circumstances begin to dissolve. Their experiences mirror one another, connecting the struggles of a woman fighting for agency in a patriarchal society with those of a writer facing persecution under a repressive regime. Rich in Uzbek poetry, folklore, and historical detail, Hamid Ismailov’s novel is both a tribute to Central Asian literary traditions and a powerful meditation on artistic freedom, cultural identity, and the devastating consequences of political oppression.

2018 Uzbekistan

Of Strangers and Bees

Of Strangers and Bees

In Of Strangers and Bees, Uzbek writer Hamid Ismailov weaves together the experiences of a contemporary exile and the extraordinary life of Avicenna, the celebrated medieval philosopher, physician, and polymath. The novel follows Sheikhov, an Uzbek writer living far from his homeland, who awakens from a troubling dream convinced that Avicenna continues to wander the world in different incarnations. Their journeys echo one another across centuries and cultures, moving through Ottoman Turkey, medieval Germany, and Renaissance Italy. Blending historical fiction, philosophical reflection, traditional storytelling, and Sufi mysticism, Ismailov explores the meaning of belonging and the loneliness of life in exile. The novel also draws on Hayy ibn Yaqzan, a landmark work of medieval Islamic philosophy concerned with knowledge, reason, and spiritual awakening. Through layered narratives and allegorical episodes, Ismailov considers how people search for truth and wisdom while negotiating the boundaries between cultures, histories, and identities. The result is an imaginative meditation on displacement, intellectual freedom, and the enduring human quest for understanding.

2019 Uzbekistan

Country

Also from Uzbekistan