Abduqadir Jalalidin was born in Kashgar on March 11, 1964. He studied Uyghur language and literature at Kashgar Pedagogical Institute. Beginning in the mid-1980s, Abdukadir Jalalidin’s works were frequently published in journals like Xinjiang Culture, Tarim, and Tengri Tagh, and he became widely recognized in Uyghur society. His articles in each issue of Xinjiang Culture sensitively reflected the societal concerns of a Uyghur society in crisis.

He is a leading figure in the field of Uyghur literature, introducing Uyghur readers to many outstanding foreign literary works. He has also served as an advisor for graduate and doctoral students, training many prominent students in Uyghur literary studies.

Colin Legerton is coauthor of Invisible China: A Journey Through Ethnic Borderlands and translator/producer of Diamond in the Dunes, a documentary film about the Xinjiang University baseball team. His translations include Zordun Sabir’s “Dolan Youths” and interviews of former Uyghur detainees for the Witness to Guantanamo project.