Central Asian fiction in English
Here I will be collecting fiction books written by Central Asian (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan) authors that were published in English—either originally written or translated into English.
I’m on a personal journey of discovering more stories written in or about my homeland (which often intersects with most Turkic cultures especially that are now Central Asia) and would love if others share the joy of reading outside the comfort zone. ✨
created by dineke
last updated April, 2026
Comments
I have 0% overlap but I want to change that 👀 is there a book you recommend to start with, or just anywhere?
dinekeOP
Tbh I had some of these on my tbr but very few and made a list today simply to widen my own horizons in that lit niche :D I am as naive here as you are but I'd say just look up some intriguing titles/summaries and go with it (I found some really interesting ones while fishing them out on the web)
I'm so excited to see this list grow!! 🫶🫶
this list is making me realise i've had Hamid Ismailov and Chingiz Aitmatov on my tbr for too long not to have read anything by them yet! are there any you'd recommend to start with?
dinekeOP
That makes one of us!! Today was the day I learnt about them xD I am planning to read at least several of the novels in the list in the coming year, but I started from Kazakh myths and historical costume dramas first :D
