People’s Writer of Karakalpakstan passes away at 95

Gulaysha Yesemuratova, the People’s Writer of Karakalpakstan, passed away on June 22 at the age of 95. The Writers' Union of Uzbekistan reported her death.

Yesemuratova was born on January 10, 1930, in the Chimboy district of the Republic of Karakalpakstan.

After graduating from the Karakalpak State Pedagogical Institute in 1951, she began her career that same year as head of department at the youth newspaper (now "Karakalpakstan Jaslari"). Between 1957 and 1960, she led a department at "Jetkinshek" newspaper, then served as department head at "Amudaryo" magazine from 1960 to 1990. From 1991 to 2004, she was editor-in-chief of the "Orol qizlari" ("Aral qizlari") magazine.

Her literary legacy includes numerous novels, short stories, and four volumes of selected works published between 1995 and 2009. Her notable books include "Kashta"  (Embroidery)  (1969), "Kholmurad Chaqqon" (1971), "Jayron" (1975), "Songhi ahtunlar" (1990), "Oydek qiz" (Girl like the moon) (1980), "Qizim, senga aytaman" (I tell you this, my daughter)(1981), "Mingda bir kechirim" (1991), and "Duvdendagi daftar" (1992).

As a translator, she skillfully rendered many works by Russian and other fraternal peoples’ writers into the Karakalpak language.

Yesemuratova’s creativity and decades of service earned her wide recognition. She received the honorary titles of “Honored Cultural Worker of the Republic of Karakalpakstan” (1980) and “People’s Writer of the Republic of Karakalpakstan” (2012), a certificate of honor from the Jokargi Kenes of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, and an award from the Writers' Union of Karakalpakstan.

It is worth noting that earlier, Azim Latipov, Hero of Uzbekistan and member of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis, also passed away at the age of 74.