1915 – 1995
The Nasreddin Hodja (the famous 13th-century satirist) of the modern age.
A grand master of political satire.
He stood up against what he thought to be wrong.
He used humour to profoundly criticise his society.
He created an intimate connection with his readers without resorting to cheap shots.
He aimed not to only to amuse but also to highlight the broken social order.
The power of his plain narration went beyond mere verisimilitude.
He sketched the topography of contemporary life, revealing its flaws and conflicts.
He was a conscientious observer who could create a story out of the simplest case study, and realise it through elegant, effective prose.
He worked across different genres, from fairy stories and folk tales to poetry and essays, redefining the scope of comic storytelling.
Throughout his life, he ensured the light that shone within him was also directed outwards at his society.
He shouldered the responsibility of being an author and an intellectual, and wrote constantly.
He donated the proceeds from his books to his Nesin Foundation, which he founded to educate children born into poverty, regardless of their race, religion or gender.
He was bravehearted, proving his intellectual courage countless times by speaking out.
Courtrooms, prosecutions and prison became a normal part of his daily life.
His enemies even tried to burn him alive when he was 80 years old, but that didn’t stop him either.
‘It might have been ever so, but not anymore,’ he once said, and endeavoured to act accordingly.
