“The Devils’ Dance”: Review of Uzbek author Hamid Ismailov’s Novel

From childhood, it was drilled into our minds together with our mother tongue: if you start an idea, take it to the finish line ! This is because the Uzbek language’s structure is such that until you get to the end of a verbal phrase, in order not to miss the meaning of the verb, … Continue reading “The Devils’ Dance”: Review of Uzbek author Hamid Ismailov’s Novel →

Extract: Alat Asem’s Novel “Confessions of a Jade Lord” (时间悄悄的嘴脸)

An excerpt from the newly published novel by Uyghur author Alat Asem, Confessions of a Jade Lord 《时间悄悄的嘴脸》 Chapter 19 Rechristening a High-rise In the midst of his hectic days as minor-character-cum-stagehand, Exet the Mouse’s magnificent new sobriquet — “Suet Exet” — fails to resonate. Those two sheep were indeed sacrificed in vain. Afterwards, he … Continue reading Extract: Alat Asem’s Novel “Confessions of a Jade Lord” (时间悄悄的嘴脸) →

Xinjiang: Big Data, Wifi Sniffers & Big Brother

In China: Big Data Fuels Crackdown in Minority Region, Human Rights Watch reports on how hi-tech is being used to systematically monitor citizens' behavior in Xinjiang, one of the PRC's most multiethnic regions: Since August 2016, the Xinjiang Bureau of Public Security has posted procurement notices confirming the establishment of the “Integrated Joint Operations Platform” (IJOP, … Continue reading Xinjiang: Big Data, Wifi Sniffers & Big Brother →

Borderland Fiction: “The Mongol Would-be Self-Immolator,” Excerpted from Guo Xuebo’s “Moŋgoliya”

Asia-Pacific Journal has published an excerpt I selected and translated from Guo Xuebo's contemporary work, Moŋgoliya《蒙古里亚》: Set in China’s 21st-century Inner Mongolia, the novel is a semi-autobiographical tale by Guo Xuebo, a Mongol who grew up speaking the language of his people. It comprises three distinct but intertwined narratives: a spiritual journey, in which the author — … Continue reading Borderland Fiction: “The Mongol Would-be Self-Immolator,” Excerpted from Guo Xuebo’s “Moŋgoliya” →

《Seher》：来自土耳其牢房畅销书的消息

来自土耳其牢房畅销短篇的物语：在野党政客施展笔杆子的魅力如今，Selahattin Demirtas (萨拉丁• 德米尔塔什) 已被囚禁在牢房约一年时间，在此等待与恐怖主义有关联的审判。监禁期间，他创作的短篇故事集在土耳其大为畅销，书中有两篇还是以监狱为背景。自 2017 年九月份开售至该年底，此书已在土耳其卖出十四万本。据伊斯坦布尔的文学代理 AnatoliaLit Agency，英国、德国、意大利和希腊四国的出版社已购买了这本书的外文版权。这本名为《Seher》的集子由十二个短篇构成，作者将其献给 “所有被杀害的女性与暴力受害者”。定居伊斯坦布尔的 William Armstrong 在《Hürriyet Daily News》报纸的书评中写，这些故事多“围绕奋斗中女性的苦难”。例如：《纳赞，女清洁工》，讲述了一位兼职女佣偶遇一次街头游行却因误被捕，最终由于含冤蒙受牢狱之灾而产生了政治觉醒；《小美人鱼》是关于一名五岁叙利亚难民儿童，在逃离自己因战争而满目疮痍的国家时溺海而亡的悲伤故事；《致监狱信件阅读委员会的一封信》则是稍带讽刺幽默的一篇。被土耳其政府以帮助恐怖组织搞宣传等诸多罪名起诉的德米尔塔什，并未获准参加近日展开的对自己的审判。海外分析家普遍认为，他的主要罪行是其人民民主党 (HDP) 领导人的身份。该党在土耳其 2014 年的国会选举中，赢得了 550 个席位中的 80 个。面对这支亲库尔德民族在野党的优异表现，埃尔多安总统与他所领导的正义与发展党 (AKP) 迫切想要挫伤对手形象，尤其是在库尔德和年轻选民中。但这并非易事。德米尔塔什曾怡然自得地在电视节目中弹奏7弦巴拉玛琴和演唱土耳其民谣，是位充满魅力、广受欢迎的政客。毫无疑问，这本书中最感人的故事是《Seher》。到最后，遵照在场父亲与叔父的要求，弟弟处死了他的姐姐。在与同事的第一次约会中，年少天真的 Seher 被那工友的朋友们压在地上，然后约她出来的同事就强奸了她。如果此事被公之于众，她的整个家族都会因此蒙羞。据传统，近亲会认为有义务对被玷污的女方实施 “名誉杀人”。如今，这一行为虽法律上被视为谋杀，但在土耳其仍时有发生，尤其在乡下。中国读者可能读过李凡纳的《伊斯坦布尔的幸福》。在小说中，一位男青年被命令处决村子里被奸污的女性，但最终他奋起反抗，取而代之对强奸犯进行报复。遗憾的是，Seher 没有如此幸运。德米尔塔什用两句诗来结束这个故事：林中一夜，三个男人偷走了Seher 的梦想，旷野一夜，三个男人夺走了Seher 的生命。 (*** To leave a comment or read earlier comments, pls scroll to bottom of this … Continue reading 《Seher》：来自土耳其牢房畅销书的消息 →

Censorship in Xinjiang: Books by former Chairman of the Region are Banned

Authorities in the capital of northwest China’s Xinjiang Autonomous Region have banned the sale of books by an ethnic Uyghur who served as the region’s first chairman, reports Radio Free Asia (Ban): Observers said the ban — part of an internal party order issued in April last year, but only recently learned of by RFA’s … Continue reading Censorship in Xinjiang: Books by former Chairman of the Region are Banned →

Last King of Kuqa: Uyghur Author Patigül Launches her Xinjiang Historical Novel

First enfeoffed by Qing Emperor Qianlong in 1758, this Uyghur dynasty in northeastern Xinjiang eventually boasted a line of eleven monarchs, popularly known as the “King of Kuqa” (库车王). Kuqa was an ancient Buddhist kingdom located on the branch of the Silk Road that ran along the northern edge of the Taklamakan Desert, but to … Continue reading Last King of Kuqa: Uyghur Author Patigül Launches her Xinjiang Historical Novel →

Xinjiang Slogan Update: Pomegranate Seeds

As part of the global One Belt, One Road publicity campaign, China's media is publishing a bevy of articles introducing major oasis cities along the ancient Silk Road, including this one focusing on Xinjiang's Aksu (一带一路上的阿克苏: 新型全球化的城市样本). Here's a pic from the article, showing modern-day Aksu residents dancing.

Xinjiang’s Hotian Education Department Issues Directive Limiting Use of Uyghur in Schools

According to a July 28, 2017 report by Radio Free Asia (Uyhgur Language): In late June, the Education Department in Xinjiang’s Hotan (in Chinese, Hetian) prefecture issued a five-point directive outlawing the use of Uyghur at schools in favor of Mandarin Chinese “in order to strengthen elementary and middle/high school bilingual education.” Under the directive … Continue reading Xinjiang’s Hotian Education Department Issues Directive Limiting Use of Uyghur in Schools →

The Xinjiang Gold Rush, Uyghur Scavengers and a Kind of Freedom

In a discussion of Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing’s The Mushroom at the End of the World — about Southeast Asian refugee immigrants and white Vietnam War vets picking mushrooms in Oregon — Darren Byler is struck by the way the mushroom pickers speak of freedom. He writes: In a corner of China, several thousand kilometers from … Continue reading The Xinjiang Gold Rush, Uyghur Scavengers and a Kind of Freedom →