Renowned poet Farida Afruz takes on new tole at Writers' Union

Renowned poet and former deputy of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis, Farida Afruz (Farida Butayeva), has been appointed as the Deputy Chairman of the Writers' Union of Uzbekistan.

The union's press service announced her new role, which was formalized during a meeting on December 3. The meeting was attended by key figures, including representatives from the Presidential Administration, the Cabinet of Ministers, and members of the Writers' Union. People's Poet Sirojiddin Sayyid, who chairs the union, presided over the gathering, where participants extended their best wishes to Farida Afro'z for her new responsibilities.

This appointment comes after Botirjon Ergashev, the previous Deputy Chairman for Youth Issues, assumed the role of Director of the Research Institute of Cultural Studies and Intangible Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture.

Born on March 5, 1956, in Kokand, Fergana region, Farida Afruz graduated from the Kokand State Pedagogical Institute named after Mukimi. Over the years, she has authored several celebrated poetry collections, including Forty Kokilligim (1986), Skirt of Suffering (1992), Rebellion of Nights (1994), My Eyes… (1999), From Myself to Myself (2001), Ushshaq (2004), Tasbeh (2006), and That Day is Today (2012). Her poems have been translated into numerous languages, such as Russian, Turkish, English, German, French, Persian, Uyghur, Azerbaijani, Gagauz, Chinese, and Korean.

Farida Afro'z’s contributions to literature extend to her audiobooks, which include "Qirq kokilligim", "Ayol Qalbi", and "Kel, Bugunni Bayram Qilalaik". These works have earned her a special place in the hearts of literature enthusiasts.

Throughout her career, she has been honored with several awards, including the "Fame" medal in 1999, the "10th Anniversary of Uzbekistan's Independence" badge in 2001, and the "Frienship" order in 2017.

Earlier this year, Minhojiddin Hajimatov (Minhojiddin Mirzo) was also appointed First Deputy Chairman of the Writers' Union for Creative Issues.