BiographyMukhtar Sherim is one of Kazakhstan's leading satirical writers. He was born in 1957 in the village of Aktas, Baidibek District, South Kazakhstan Region. In 1975, he enrolled in the Faculty of Journalism at the Kazakh State University in Almaty. While still a university student, his satirical short stories were published in Silk Breeze, a collective anthology of young writers.After graduating, he joined the regional newspaper Ontüstik Kazakhstan, where he headed its satirical section, Qaqpan ("The Trap"), writing sharp and incisive feuilletons. During those years, his humorous and satirical works appeared regularly in national newspapers and literary magazines, steadily establishing his reputation across the country.He later founded Kazakhstan's first independent satirical newspaper, Zhudyr¿q ("The Fist"), serving as its editor-in-chief. Afterwards, he became editor-in-chief of the independent newspaper Barys, a position he held for fourteen years. He also established the regional comedy and satire organization The Fair of Laughter and was an active writer for the nationally acclaimed Tamasha Theatre.Mukhtar Sherim is an exceptionally prolific satirist. Following his first books, Farewell to the Bureaucrat and The Matchmaker Who Never Stops Hugging, he distinguished himself with a four-volume collection of satire. His book Those Who Chase and Those Who Flee was published under a state-sponsored literary program.In recent years, he has devoted himself primarily to satirical novels, winning widespread acclaim from readers. His first satirical novel, The Super Shameless, ruthlessly exposes corruption, hypocrisy, and betrayal among those in power. A defining feature of Mukhtar Sherim's satire is its fearless focus on social and political issues.His sharply sarcastic novel The Clever Fools was published this year. Following it, he presents A Human Who Resembles a Human. He has also nearly completed another satirical novel entitled The Dead Have Died.Mukhtar Sherim is the recipient of the prestigious International Alash Literary Award, holds the honorary title of Honored Writer of Kazakhstan, and is the Grand Prize winner of the Shona Smakhanuly Award. He has received numerous medals and honors for his literary achievements.His humorous and satirical works have appeared frequently in magazines and anthologies published in the United States, Italy, China, Bangladesh, India, Kosovo, and Norway.He currently resides in Shymkent, Kazakhstan.
