The Devils' Dance
Uzbekistan

The Devils' Dance

by Hamid Ismailov

Freedom & Resistance Historical Fiction Fiction 2018

Summary

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.

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Country
Uzbekistan
Asia
About the author
Hamid Ismailov
Hamid Ismailov

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.

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Details
Published
2018
Author
Hamid Ismailov