Xurshid Dostmuhammad

Xurshid Dostmuhammad (in official documents Xurshid Nabiyevich Do‘stmuhamedov) was born in Tashkent on 8 January 1951. In 1969–1973 he studied at the journalism faculty of Tashkent State University, now the National University of Uzbekistan.

He began working in 1973 at the “Fan” publishing house of the Academy of Sciences, then at the magazine “Fan va turmush” (“Science and Life”, 1978–1984) and the newspaper “Qishloq haqiqati” (“Rural Truth”, 1984–1986). In 1986–1995 he worked at the magazine “Yosh kuch” as head of a department, deputy editor-in-chief and editor-in-chief.

In 1995–1997 he was a co-chair of a public and political foundation for the democratisation and support of the media of Uzbekistan; in 1997–2002 he was editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Hurriyat” and in 2002–2005 of the magazine “O‘zbekiston matbuoti”. He later worked in the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis and in 2020 was elected a deputy of the Chamber. He holds a doctorate in philology.

His first story appeared in 1981 in the magazine “Guliston” and his first novella, “Nigoh” (“The Gaze”), in 1987 in “Yoshlik”. His first book, “Hovli etagidagi uy” (“The House at the Edge of the Yard”), came out in 1989. It was followed by novellas and stories such as “Panoh”, “Oromkursi”, “So‘roq”, “Sof o‘zbekcha qotillik” and “Hijronim mingdir mening”, in the 1990s by the book “Jajman” and the novel “Bozor” (“The Bazaar”); the novels “Qichqiriq” (“The Scream”) and “Donishmand Sizif” (“The Wise Sisyphus”) were published in 2014 and 2016.

He translated into Uzbek the story “Rashomon” by the Japanese writer Ryūnosuke Akutagawa and works by other foreign authors. The film “Chayongul” (2000) was made from his screenplay.

In 1997 he was awarded the “Shuhrat” medal. In 2000 he received the “Ofarin” literary prize for the novel “Bozor” and the books “Hijronim mingdir mening” and “Ozod iztirob quvonchlari”. He was given the Order “Do‘stlik” in 2006, and in 2020 the honorary title of Honoured Culture Worker of the Republic of Uzbekistan.