The School of Sciences and Humanities at Nazarbayev University, in partnership with the NU Library, is pleased to invite you to the presentation of the book Tulips in Bloom: An Anthology of Modern Central Asian Literature, published on November 26, 2024.  

About this book

Prompted by the need for accessible teaching materials on Central Asian literature and history, this anthology surveys the literature of modern Central Asia from the late 19th century to the present. Genres range from oral literature and folk tales to essays, prose, drama, and poetry. The anthology is divided into five sections: oral literature; pre-Revolutionary written literature; Soviet literature through the Stalin era; Soviet literature of the post-Stalin era; and literature of contemporary Central Asia. Each section is preceded by a short critical introduction and includes representative examples from multiple languages and regions. The geographic focus of the anthology is on literature from the territories of the post-Soviet republics of Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan), together with the adjacent regions of Xinjiang, Afghanistan, and the Caucasus.

About the editors

Gabriel McGuire has a Ph.D. in Folklore from Indiana University, Bloomington. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Languages, Linguistics, and Literatures at Nazarbayev University. 

Chris Fort has a Ph.D. in Slavic Languages and Literatures from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Naomi Caffee has a Ph.D. in Slavic Languages and Literatures from the University of California, Los Angeles. She is an Assistant Professor at Reed College.

Emily Laskin has a Ph.D.  in Comparative Literature from the University of California, Berkeley.

Samuel Hodgkin has a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures from the University of Chicago. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Comparative Literature at Yale University.

Ali F. İğmen has a Ph.D. in History from the University of Washington. He is Professor of History at California State University, Long Beach (source).

The event will feature contributions from NU SSH faculty:

• Gabriel McGuire – Editor, Associate Professor, Department of Languages, Linguistics, and Literature
• Eva-Marie Dubuisson – Translator of The Aitys of Birzhan Sal and Sara Qyz, Associate Professor, Department of Languages, Linguistics, and Literature
• Meiramgul Kussainova – Translator of Kenesary-Nauryzbai, Associate Professor, Department of Kazakh Language and Turkic Studies
• Nicholas Walmsley – Translator of Dilshod Barno's History of the Refugees, Instructor, Writing Center
• and Maria Rybakova, Assistant Professor, Department of Languages, Linguistics, and Literature

As a special gesture, a copy of this edition will be donated to the NU Library.  

We look forward to your presence at this insightful discussion on modern Central Asian literature!

Venue: Nazarbayev University Library, 5e.228 (Conference Hall)