Support the Translation of Mehrobdan Chayon

Throughout 2024-2025, I will translate the sequel to Abdullah Qodiriy's O'tkan Kunlar, Mehrobdan Chayon. I published O'tkan Kunlar in 2019 to great acclaim, culminating in President Shavkat Mirziyoyev awarding me the Republic of Uzbekistan's Order of Dostlik. You will see in the explainer video my thoughts on how the two novels complement each other and how I will, over the next year, explore the themes that attracted me to the first novel. With your support, I hope to be able to cover my research costs, hire editors/ reviewers, and provide ancillary costs to provide updates on my progress on social media.

During graduate school, I read most of Mehrobdan Chayon twenty years ago and found the novel fascinating. Qodiriy, in the first novel, confronts many issues surrounding Islam in Central Asia, namely the role of Islam in governance. However, the second novel follows up with direct criticism of the Ulema and how faith plays a role in the lives of average Central Asians. There are a plethora of tensions at play in the second novel that I will deal with directly over the next year while I translate the novel-- sort of an open commentary on how both novels provide insight and context into the current dynamics in the region. If Qodiriy's novels are set in the past to describe his present circumstances while delivering a warning to future generations, then we are his future. Many of you in Central Asia know the novels' narratives and are familiar with my work. Those of you first encountering Central Asian literature for the first time will become familiar with what I call the origin story of the Central Asian peoples. I hope that next year, this will expand the horizons for both groups!