Tursun Mehmut is a creative and prolific Uyghur writer. He got arrested in February 2018 and sentenced to 11 years at the end of the year.
Tursun Mehmud was born on March 1, 1968, in Baghériq village of Cherchen County. In 1990, he graduated from the Faculty of Literature at Kashgar Pedagogical Institute. He worked for a period as a teacher, later worked at the county seed station, and currently works at the Cherchen County Cultural Center.
His first short story, «داۋامى قالغان چۈش» (Dawami Qalghan Chüsh — The Dream Left Unfinished), was published in 1989 in the journal «يېڭى قاشتېشى» (Yéngi Qashteshi — New Jade).
Since then, more than 150 of his works — including short stories, novellas, and other genres — have appeared in various newspapers and journals across the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Over the years, he has been awarded the prestigious Khantengri Literature Prize three times (6th, 15th, and 16th sessions).
His published collections and novels include:
- My Uncle’s Peaches — (Taghamning Shaptulliri «تاغامنىڭ شاپتۇللىرى») (short stories, Nationalities Publishing House, December 2009)
- Angel’s Rain — (Perishte Yamghuri «پەرىشتە يامغۇرى») (short stories, Xinjiang Youth and Children’s Publishing House, 2009)
- Dusk — (Gugum «گۇگۇم») (novel, Nationalities Publishing House, 2010)
- Rainy Sunday — (Yamghurluq Yekshenbe «يامغۇرلۇق يەكشەنبە») (novel, Nationalities Publishing House, 2012)
- The Brown-Horsed Horsecart — (Qongur Atliq Mepe «قوڭۇر ئاتلىق مەپە») (novellas, Nationalities Publishing House, 2012)
- Valiant Who Killed a Tiger and the Man Washing Clothes — (Yolwas Öltürgen Ezimet We kir Yuyuwatqan Er «يولۋاس ئۆلتۈرگەن ئەزىمەت ۋە كىر يۇيۇۋاتقان ئەر») (short stories, Nationalities Publishing House, 2012)
- The Third Love — (Üchinchi Söygü «ئۈچىنچى سۆيگۈ») (short stories, Kashgar Uyghur Publishing House, January 2014)
- The Flower of Wounds — (Jarahet Güli «جاراھەت گۈلى») (novel, Nationalities Publishing House, 2015)
- The Long Road — (Uzaq Yol «ئۇزاق يول») (short stories, Xinjiang University Publishing House, 2015)
- The Beautiful (Colorful) World — (Gülgün Dunya «گۈلگۈن دۇنيا») (novel, Xinjiang People’s Publishing House and Xinjiang People’s General Publishing House, 2015)
Tursun Mehmud is a member of the Chinese Minority Writers’ Association, the Xinjiang Writers’ Association, and the Bayingolin Writers’ Association.
Some of his works on the internet:
The Beautiful (Colorful) World, other link, other link, other link
Rainy Sunday, other link, other link, other link
The Brown-Horsed Horsecart, other link, other link
