Timur Zulfikarov, a prominent Russian/Tajik poet, writer, and playwright, has been named a laureate of the WOW World Literary Prize 2026. This prestigious recognition includes five other distinguished authors from various countries.

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The World Organization of Writers (WOW) announced the list of laureates, which features talents from Africa, Russia, China, South America, and Tajikistan, as reported by The Silk Road Today. The complete list of winners is as follows:

- Wole Soyinka — Nigeria

- Cao Shui — China

- Fernando Rendón — Colombia

- Vyacheslav Kupriyanov — Russia

- Rubén Darío Flores Arsila — Colombia

- Timur Zulfikarov — Tajikistan

In addition to these six laureates, WOW plans to award two gold medals for “Contribution to the Development of World Literature” in 2026.

WOW President Margarita Al praised Zulfikarov, highlighting his status as one of Tajikistan’s leading poets. Born in Dushanbe, Zulfikarov celebrated his 90th birthday on August 17. His literary contributions span poetry, novels, plays, and cinema.

Over his career, Zulfikarov has received numerous accolades, including the British “Collets” prize for “Best Novel of Europe-93,” the “Hartley-Merrill” prize for Best Screenplay in 1991, and the “Prophet Muhammad — Mercy for the Worlds” prize in 2011. He is also a recipient of the Ivan Bunin Award for his work Zolotye Pismena Lyubvi (The Golden Letters of Love) and the Interstate Prize “Star of the Commonwealth.” Additionally, he holds the title of People’s Writer of Tajikistan and has been awarded the Order of Sharaf (Glory) of the first degree.

Several of Zulfikarov’s works have been adapted into films, such as Mirazhi Lyubvi (1987) and Tasfiya (2017). The 2001 Russian film award Nika was given for a romance inspired by Zulfikarov’s lyrics in the art-house melodrama Listen, Is It Raining?

Established in 2023 by the World Organization of Writers, the WOW World Literary Prize aims to honor authors whose works exemplify literary excellence and contribute to global literature. The prize recognizes works that illustrate universal spiritual and moral values and is awarded annually, accepting nominations for books written in Russian, English, Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic, along with translations into these languages.

The organization’s founders include the Eurasian cultural projects foundation LIFFt, the Assembly of Peoples of Eurasia and Africa, and the Pan-African Writers’ Association (PAWA).