Halima Xudoyberdieva

Halima is not only a poet but also a fiery publicist. In particular, the articles included in her collection «Points of Pain in My Heart» offer reflections on the pressing problems of our time. Halima Xudoyberdiyeva was awarded the Hamza Republican State Prize for her poetry collection titled «Sacred Woman» (1990). In 1992, she was bestowed the high title of «People's Poet of Uzbekistan».

Biography

Halima Xudoyberdiyeva was born on May 17, 1947, in the Boyovut district of Sirdaryo region, into a peasant family.

«My father,» the poet recalls, «was a literature enthusiast, and he and his friends would gather often. When they chatted, shared stories, and read books, our house became a festival that lasted until dawn. My respected father would recite books with such skill, in a strange, heart-stirring tone. If I have become a creator and achieved even a little, I must first lay my head at the feet of my mother Sharofat Xonnazar qizi, my father Ummatqulboy Xudoyberdi o‘g‘li, and then my dear mother Qarshigul Xonnazar qizi to express my gratitude.» When Halima was two years old, her mother Sharofat opa passed away, and her aunt Qarshigul Xonnazar qizi became a mother to the future poet.

«I vaguely remember,» says Halimaxon, «Qarshigul aya weaving feathers by the light of a lamp at night, and I would sit beside her, competing to weave the patterns. Seeing that no pattern on the feather carpet was ruined, my mother would kiss my forehead and call me 'my own seamstress,' and when her heart was touched, she would tell me stories of the hardships she had endured. Many of my works, including the poems 'History of a Braided Hair,' 'Songs of Sayram Bakhshi,' 'A Wail Came from the Hindu Kush,' and my epic 'Longing,' were written under the influence of my dear mother.»

After finishing high school, Halima Xudoyberdiyeva studied at Tashkent State University from 1968 to 1972. Afterward, she worked effectively at the «Saodat» magazine, first as a department head, then as deputy editor, and later as editor-in-chief.

During this period, she studied at the Higher Literature Courses in Moscow from 1975 to 1977.

Between 1978 and 1982, she served as a department head at the «Yosh Gvardiya» (now «Yangi Asr Avlodi») publishing house and as the chair of the Women's Committee Council of Uzbekistan.

From 1995 to 1996, she worked as a leading specialist at the «Yozuvchi» publishing house and headed the literature department at the «Guliston» magazine.

Career

Halima Xudoyberdiyeva's creative work began in the 60s, and to this day, she has created over twenty poetry collections, epics, and publicist articles. In particular, her poetry and prose collections such as «First Love» (1968), «White Apples» (1973), «Chaman» (1974), «My Supporting Mountains» (1976), «Grandfather Sun» (1977), «Warm Snow» (1979), «Loyalty» (1983), «Sacred Woman» (1987), «Points of Pain in My Heart» (1991), «Fire of Freedom» (1993), «There Are Those Who Lived to See These Days» (1994), and «What Tomiris Said» (1996) have become the spiritual property of the general readership.

The thematic and semantic scope of Halima Xudoyberdiyeva's poetry is extremely broad and deep. The themes of children, women, parents, and the motherland dominate her poems.

In the poet's creative work, her last two poetry collections — «There Are Those Who Lived to See These Days» and «What Tomiris Said» — hold special value. The changes in life and in people's psychology created a great turning point in the poet's own soul. The former poems of gratitude began to be replaced by rebellious poems calling for independence. Depicting the truth of life as it is, without embellishment, became the main principle.

Halima is not only a poet but also a fiery publicist. In particular, the articles included in her collection «Points of Pain in My Heart» offer reflections on the pressing problems of our time.

She is also working productively as a translator. Her translations from Fazu Aliyeva, Silva Kaputikyan, and Ibrohim Yusupov are noteworthy. Halima Xudoyberdiyeva was awarded the Hamza Republican State Prize for her poetry collection titled «Sacred Woman» (1990). In 1992, she was bestowed the high title of «People's Poet of Uzbekistan».