Tursunjan Muhemmet was born February 18, 1965, in Chira County, Hotan Prefecture. He got sentenced 18 years in prison in 2020. He is serving his prison term in Hotan. His works stand as a powerful testament to the resilience of Uyghur language, culture, and storytelling.
Beginning his literary career in 1987, Tursunjan Muhemmet has published 17 novellas, over 150 short fictions, and numerous essays. His novel—Hijran (means Separation in two volumes) got strong attentions among the readers, other novels like Jezire (desert), and Kuz Yamghuri (Autumn Rain) alongside collections such as Moonlight in the Well and The Eye of Conscience were published by major presses such as Xinjiang People’s Publishing House and Minzu Publishing House, and some of them translated into Chinese.
His works depict the daily lives, emotional experiences, and existential struggles of Uyghurs in Hotan, highlighting conditions of economic hardship, environmental challenges, and a growing sense of alienation within their own homeland.
Tursunjan Muhemmet is the recipient of multiple prestigious literary awards, including the Khan Tengri Literary Award for several of his novellas, and the Tengritagh Literature and Arts Award (2009) for his two-volume novel Hijran. His works have also received numerous first-prize recognitions at the prefectural level.
Beyond writing, he has contributed significantly as an editor and cultural advocate, serving as deputy editor-in-chief of the literary journal New Jade(Yengi Qashteshi) a two-monthly literary magazine which had been publishing since 1979 under the leadership of propaganda department CCP Hotan branch.
According to information obtained by Uyghur Hjelp in March 2026, Tursunjan Muhammet has been detained as part of the broader repression targeting Uyghur intellectuals and writers since 2016. The literary journal Yengi Qashteshi was shut down along with other Uyghur-language publications, and its editors and staff were reportedly sent to detention camps. Tursunjan Muhemmet is believed to have spent two years in a camp in Hotan. In 2020, he was detained again, accused of “inciting terrorism,” and sentenced to 18 years in prison.
Some of his works found on internet:
Hijran (Separation), alternative link, alternative link
Jezire (desert), alternative link, alternative link, alternative link, alternative link, alternative link
The Eye of Conscience, alternative link
