Setiwaldi Kerim was born on June 1, 1970, in Üstün Atush Township, Atush City, in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. In 1993, he graduated from the Faculty of Language and Literature at Xinjiang University. Upon graduation, he was assigned to teach at Atush No. 1 Middle School, where he worked continuously as a Uyghur language and literature teacher.
Alongside his teaching career, Setiwaldi Kerim devoted himself to literary writing and educational research. He published poems, short stories and essays about education related topics. In 2000, Xinjiang People’s Publishing House published his book دەز كەتكەن ئەڭگۈشتەر (The Lost Thimble). In 2003, Kashgar Uyghur Publishing House published مېنىڭ يېڭى دەرسخانام (My New Classroom).
In 1992, his work “كىچىك مەزىننىڭ يۈرەك ساداسى“ (The Little Muezzin’s Heartfelt Voice) received the first «غۇنچە مۇكاپاتى» (Ghunche Award), a regional literary prize established to recognize outstanding children’s literature in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
His short story “قالتىس ئېشەك“ (The Clever Donkey) received the «يېڭى ئەسىر تارىم مۇكاپاتى» (New Century Tarim Literary Award) in 2014. In April 2015, he became a member of شىنجاڭ يازغۇچىلار جەمئىيىتى (Xinjiang Writers Association).
In 2017, Setiwaldi Kerim was arrested by the Chinese authorities. In 2018, he was sentenced to 19 years’ imprisonment. He is currently serving his sentence in a prison in Atush.
Setiwaldi Kerim’s writings focus primarily on education and children’s literature. Through his stories and educational works, he sought to nurture young readers and promote the Uyghur language and culture. Although he remains imprisoned, his works continue to represent an important contribution to contemporary Uyghur literature.
