Turkmenistan

Ak Welsapar is a Turkmen writer in exile. His story of a fishing village joins collective memory, violence and a struggle to remain on ancestral land. The Revenge of the Foxes moves to a Moscow hospital during the Soviet Union's disintegration. These two books currently form a route through Welsapar's work rather than a survey of multiple authors.

WHERE TO START

The Tale of AypiAk Welsapar
Magtymguly: Poems from TurkmenistanMagtymguly

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Books to begin with

An editorial selection · not ranked

Ak Welsapar

The Tale of Aypi

About the book

A threatened Caspian fishing community faces relocation and the return of an old legend.

EnglishTranslation

The Tale of Aypi

Glagoslav Publications

Edition source ↗

Ak Welsapar

The Revenge of the Foxes

About the book

Young patients in a Moscow hospital await heart operations as the Soviet order disintegrates.

EnglishTranslation

The Revenge of the Foxes

Glagoslav Publications

Edition source ↗

Ak Welsapar

Death of the Snake Catcher

About the book

Stories bring together Turkmen experience, fantasy and reflections on humanity’s relationship with nature.

EnglishTranslation

Death of the Snake Catcher

Glagoslav Publications

Edition source ↗

Magtymguly

Magtymguly: Poems from Turkmenistan

About the book

An English edition of poetry by a classic of Turkmen literature.

EnglishTranslation

Magtymguly: Poems from Turkmenistan

Asian Cultural History Program, Smithsonian Institution

Edition source ↗

Context and sources

Sources on authors and their connections to this country. Specific edition details appear beside each book. Polish and English originals are not labelled as translations.