Ibroyim Yusupov

Ibroyim Yusupov was born on 5 May 1929 in the village of Azot in the Chimboy district of Karakalpakstan. He graduated from the Karakalpak pedagogical institute in 1949 and taught language and literature there until 1961. He was editor-in-chief of the magazine “Amudaryo” (1961–1962), headed the Karakalpakstan Writers’ Union in 1965–1980, then was a newspaper editor and chairman of the Centre of Spirituality and Enlightenment. His first poems were published in the mid-1940s. He has more than 30 books of poetry and prose: the collection “Qora tol”, the dostons “Akatsiya gullagan joyda”, “Dala armonlari” and “Mangu buloq”, the dramas “Qirq qiz” and “Umirbek laqqi” and the libretto “Ajiniyoz”. His translations of world classical poetry were published in 1986 as “Mangu buloqlar”. He received the Berdaq State Prize in 1974 and the title Hero of Uzbekistan in 2004. The poet died in 2008 aged 79.