A creative meeting with the famous Turkmen writer, playwright and poet Hemra Shirov was held at Ashgabat Secondary School №132. The event, dedicated to his 75th anniversary, was organised by the State Children’s Library of Turkmenistan named after Bazar Amanov.
Hemra Shirov was born on the 1st of September, 1950, in the village of Beshir in the Lebap province. Sharing his childhood memories, he spoke about his difficult post-war childhood, which deeply influenced his work. The poet grew up in a large family, where his father, a war veteran and school teacher Shir Veliyev, and his mother were engaged in raising children together. At that time, the favourite entertainment for children was the radio, on which they enjoyed listening to performances of Turkmen artists.
The poet’s first poems were published in the Soviet magazine «Pioneer» and the Turkmen newspaper «Mydam Tayyar!» («Always ready!»), when he was still in school. His talent was quickly noticed. In the 6th grade, the future poet participated in republican seminars for young writers, where he met outstanding personalities such as Berdi Kerbabayev, Aman Kekilov and Yakup Pirgulyyev.
After finishing school, Hemra Shirov entered the philological faculty of the Magtymguly Turkmen State University (then TSU named after Gorkiy). He combined his student years with work as a correspondent, publishing under a pseudonym.
A special place in the writer’s work is occupied by the period of service in Kamchatka, which inspired him to create books of poems «In the Land of Volcanoes», «Journey to the Land of the Rising Sun» and the story «Sons of the Ocean».
Hemra Shirov’s works have been translated into many languages of the world, including Russian, Persian, Turkish and Japanese. In addition, the poet himself is a famous translator who opened the works of foreign authors to Turkmen readers.
During the meeting, schoolchildren read the poet’s poems, and the hero of the day himself held a lively conversation with the children, answering their questions. At the end of the event, the young readers presented the writer with a bouquet of flowers. Together with him, they looked at the exhibition of books, where each child could personally communicate with the author and shake his hand.
Today, Hemra Shirov, a grandfather of many children, continues to lead an active creative and social life. He often meets with his readers, appears on television, always finding time for the younger generation to pass on his love for words and inspire creativity.
