Azam Abidov (pen name A’zam Obid) is an award-winning Uzbek poet, writer, literary translator, editor, and international cultural organiser whose work connects Uzbek literature with the world and brings international literature to Uzbek readers. He has translated works by more than 100 Uzbek authors into English and more than 100 international writers into Uzbek, working with local publishing houses on both fiction and nonfiction, including through the 1000Kitob initiative to broaden access to knowledge and encourage reading. His published translations include Alisher Navoiy’s celebrated epics Farhod and Shirin and Layli and Majnun, alongside works by leading Uzbek poets and writers, including Cho‘lpon, Usmon Nosir, and Erkin A’zam. His work encompasses classical poetry, contemporary fiction, children’s literature, and nonfiction, introducing diverse literary voices to new audiences. He initiated the publication of Two Legends of Uzbekistan and Dancing Bear, children’s books published in Uzbek, English, and Russian. His own publications include My Name Is Uzbekistan, an expanded English-language poetry collection, The Island of Anxiety, and The Neighborhood That Learned to Smile, a collection of short stories in English. His poetry and short stories have been translated into more than 30 languages. A former Honorary Fellow of the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program and a writer-in-residence in Berlin and Hong Kong, he has participated in international literary programmes and festivals around the world. His distinctions include the Franklin Award, two Eagle Awards, the Poetry Excellence Award at a Chinese literary festival, recognition from the Kazakhstan Writers’ Association for promoting Central Asian literature internationally, an award from the Turkish Writers’ Association, the Iste’dod Foundation’s poetry prize, and the Uzbekistan Writers’ Association’s republican creative writing award for My First Book.
In 2018, Abidov founded UzLAB – Independent Literature and Art Bridge, an independent literary and artistic residency initiative that has welcomed approximately 100 writers, poets, translators, and artists from more than 25 countries. Its defining philosophy is that genuine cultural exchange happens when people share everyday life, not simply accommodation: residents live together in a writers’ house rather than separate hotel rooms, sharing meals, conversations, ideas, and creative experiences that foster lasting friendships and international collaborations. Abidov has initiated and compiled international poetry anthologies, including Fish and Snake and The Language of the Birds, bringing together poetic voices from different countries and cultural traditions. His literary and cultural initiatives have received support from the Prince Claus Fund, the Goethe-Institut, and international grants and travel fellowships. He contributes to international literary exchange through the POINT International Poetry website and serves as Uzbekistan Coordinator for Poets of the Planet and Country Representative for the International Delphic Council. His cultural work also includes organising literary and musical events at the Oybek House Museum and the Suleiman Yudakov House Museum in Tashkent, creating opportunities for writers, musicians, and audiences to engage with literature, music, and cultural heritage. Alongside his professional activities, he runs a free English conversation club and hosts an informal literary salon in his own home, welcoming visiting writers from around the world into his modest living space for poetry, conversation, and friendship. Through these initiatives, he contributes to Uzbekistan’s literary development while creating meaningful opportunities for international artistic cooperation and cultural exchange.
Having travelled to more than 50 countries, Abidov sees creative travel as a way to discover new perspectives, encounter different traditions, forge friendships, and build bridges between people and cultures. His commitment to literature extends beyond writing and translation to creating spaces where people can meet, exchange ideas, and learn from one another. Whether translating a major work into Uzbek, introducing Uzbek poetry to international readers, bringing together poets from different continents in an anthology, organising a literary gathering, or welcoming a visiting writer into his home, he approaches cultural exchange as a deeply human endeavour. His literary mission works in two directions: sharing the richness of Uzbek literature with the world while making outstanding international literature accessible to Uzbek readers. Through poetry, translation, publishing, residencies, and grassroots cultural initiatives, Abidov continues to promote peace, solidarity, mutual understanding, and friendship across borders, guided by the conviction that literature and the arts can bring people closer and reveal the common humanity that unites them.
