Gafur Gulom (1903–1966)

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One of the most famous representatives of Uzbek literature Gafur Gulom was born on May 1903, 10 in Qurghonteppa mahalla of Tashkent. Orphaned by his father at the age of nine and by his mother at the age of fifteen, Gafur was educated first in an old school and then in a Russian-style school. In the years following the October coup, he completed a teacher training course and began teaching in new schools.

From 1923 he worked as a director and educator in an orphanage, then in the editorial offices of the newspapers "Poor Farmer", "Red Uzbekistan", "Sharq Haqiqati". For him, the newspaper played the role of a dorilfun, an important tool for studying the life of the people and actively interfering with it.

His first collections of poetry, Dynamo and Living Songs, were published in 1931–1932, in keeping with the spirit of renewal, his ceremonial poems, comedies condemning the past, and applauding the daily creative work of the people. In 1930–1935, the poet wrote the epic “Kokan” and the ballads “Toi” and “Ikki vasiqa”. The author then revises some of his works based on the cult of personality. He re-edits some of his works, giving the poem a naturalness and vitality.

In the 30s, Ghafur Ghulam wrote short stories, essays, and feuilletons, as well as short stories such as Netay, Yodgor, and Tirilgan Murda. During the war years, the poet devoted all the warmth of his work to the people fighting against the Nazi invaders, creating poems imbued with the spirit of confidence in its inevitable victory. He wrote poems, essays and articles such as "You are not an orphan", "Observation", "Time", "Missing" and led the people to the victory of war and labor.

Ghafur Ghulam also wrote high-quality works of art in the post-war years. He has published a number of outstanding articles on journalism and literature. His work is a unique chronicle of the people's life at that time. If Ghafur Ghulam rose to the level of a philosopher-poet with his poetic works during this period, he also showed that he was a skilled prose writer who knew the life and spirit of the people with his stories such as “Shum bola” and “My thief is my child”. G`. Gulom's selected works, collections, and selected works in ten volumes have been published several times.

Ghafur Ghulam also made a great contribution to the establishment of the Uzbek school of translation. He translated Shakespeare's masterpieces of world literature, such as Othello and King Lear, into Uzbek. Ghafur Ghulam was a full member of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan (1943). On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of his birth, he was awarded the honorary title of "People's Poet of Uzbekistan" (1963).

After the independence of Uzbekistan, in 2000, Gafur Gulam was awarded the Order of Merit for his unforgettable services to the Motherland. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the writer, a one-volume "Selected Works" (2003) was published.

From the book “Uzbek writers” (S. Mirvaliyev, R. Shokirova. Tashkent, Gafur Gulom Publishing House of Literature and Art 2016).