Abish Kekilbayev

Mankurtism. Abish Kekilbayev was the first to introduce this horrendous phenomenon to his readers. In his poem “The Kuy” he managed to describe the tragedy of a person devoid of his personality so vividly, that it literally sends shivers down the spine. Kekilbayev was a prominent Kazakh writer and a profound public and political figure. Him and his multifaceted works will be the topic of our new episode of the Book Club.

Kekilbayev was not merely a Kazakh talent, he truly was a global phenomenon. Twice he was elected as the member of the board of the Union of Writers of the USSR. Also, he has always been invited to judge at various international literature contests.