by poet and editor Aziz Isa Elkun, SOAS

MSH and EASt is pleased to host Aziz Isa Elkun, a poet and academic based in London, who is the editor of a recently released anthology of Uyghur poetry. During this book talk, Elkun will discuss a brief history of Uyghur poetry and share stories of poets featured in the anthology and their impact on poetry in the Uyghur diaspora today.

The Uyghurs have a long and glorious history of poetry, dating from the oral epics of the second century BCE through the elegant love poetry of the medieval period and up to the present moment -and much of it has never before been translated into English. Uyghur poetry reflects the magnificent natural landscapes at the heart of the Silk Road region, with its endless steppes, soaring mountain ranges, and vast deserts, as well as its turbulent history. Turkic, Sufi, and Persian influences have shaped the poetic tradition over the centuries, and more recently the modernism of the twentieth century left its mark as well. Uyghur Poems is not only a remarkable one-volume tour of an ancient and vibrant poetic tradition but also a vital witness to a threatened culture.

Aziz Isa Elkun is a poet and academic, born in Uyghur homeland (aka: Uyghuristan, East Turkistan, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China). He lives in London since 2001. Elkun has published many poems and research articles in both Uyghur and English. He worked for many years as secretary of PEN Uyghur Centre. From 2014 to present, he worked as a Researcher on various Uyghur study projects based in SOAS, University of London.

Monday 27th November 2023 from 6 pm to 8 pm

Salle de réception
ULB - Solbosch campus
Building DE1- Floor 3 - Room R.3.105
Avenue Antoine Depage 1
1000 Bruxelles

This is an hybrid event: registration here

Contact: east@ulb.be