Bigeldy Gabdullin
Bigeldy Gabdullin is the founder of Audarma and the editor of the Diverse Voices of Modern Kazakhstan series. He selects the works and writes the introductions that carry each volume to readers around the world. Below, in his own words, is why these voices matter.
Why These Voices Matter
I still remember the moment I realized how invisible my country was on the world’s literary map. It happened at a book fair abroad, surrounded by readers, writers, and publishers from across the globe. When I introduced myself as a writer and editor from Kazakhstan, I was met with polite smiles—and blank stares. One person asked, half-jokingly, “Is that where Borat is from?” That moment stayed with me.
Kazakhstan is a land of vast steppes and deep-rooted stories, where poetry once traveled from mouth to mouth beneath open skies, and where generations have wrestled with questions of identity, survival, and spirit. Yet for far too long, our literature has remained hidden—obscured by language barriers and limited international exposure.
When I became president of the Kazakh PEN Club more than a decade ago, I knew that needed to change. We set out with a clear mission: to bring the most vital Kazakh voices into the global conversation by translating and publishing their work in English.
It wasn’t just about recognition. It was about reclaiming the narrative—telling our own stories, in our own words, without caricature or cliché. Too often, the world has glimpsed Kazakhstan through a distorted lens. We believed literature could offer something far more truthful: not slogans or stereotypes, but real people, real emotion, and the full texture of life here.
That conviction gave birth to the Diverse Voices of Modern Kazakhstan series—and to Audarma, a Kazakh-American publishing initiative created with a single mission: to bring Kazakh writers to readers abroad, especially in the United States and the United Kingdom. Audarma is a natural extension of the PEN Club’s long-standing work. We’ve joined forces with translators, editors, and designers to produce books that remain faithful to the literary depth of the originals while speaking clearly and vividly to English-language audiences.
We believe literature can break stereotypes and build bridges between cultures. And poetry—when spoken from the heart—is a voice that cannot be ignored. Welcome to Kazakhstan—seen through the eyes of its poets, storytellers, and writers.
— Bigeldy Gabdullin, President, Kazakh PEN Club; Founder, Audarma Publishing House
Bigeldy Gabdullin is recognized internationally as an advocate for writers. His case and background are documented in PEN America’s “Writer at Risk” profile: pen.org/writer-at-risk/bigeldy-gabdullin.
Dan Sugralinov
Dan Sugralinov is a bestselling author and co-founder of Audarma. Born in Kazakhstan, he has written more than fifty novels, over thirty of which have been translated into six languages. His Level Up: Re-Start climbed into Amazon’s fantasy top ten within weeks of release, and Disgardium became one of the genre’s flagship series. Before the novels came The Bricks, a story read by more than three million people online; its film adaptation won the Grand Prix at the 41st Moscow International Film Festival. He is a member of SFWA and PEN International and lives in Florida.
At Audarma, Dan brings years of hands-on experience in American publishing to the house’s mission: helping Kazakh literature find — and win — readers in English.