From the University Classroom to the Presidential Award: Sayan Sayan Yeszhan Among the Country’s Leading Young Literary Figures

Sayan Sayan Yeszhan, one of the first graduates of the Department of Printing and Publishing of L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, has become a recipient of the Special Presidential Literary Award for Young Kazakhstani Writers and Poets.

The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, signed the Decree “On Awarding the Special Presidential Literary Prize for Young Kazakhstani Writers and Poets in 2025.” Among the laureates is Sayan Sayan Yeszhan, a well-known Kazakh poet, journalist, publicist, and public figure.

Sayan Yeszhan began his career as a correspondent for the Akmola regional socio-political newspaper “Arqa Azhary”. From 2014 to 2020, he worked as an editor, scriptwriter, and chief editor of the “Morning News Programs” division at the national TV channel QAZAQSTAN. In 2020–2021, he served as the chief editor of the news agency “Kokshe-Content”, and in 2022–2023, he was an editor at the Documentary Film Center of the Presidential TV and Radio Company of Kazakhstan. Currently, he is the chief editor of morning programs at “Khabar” TV channel.

His poems have been published in “Qazaq Adebieti”, “Ana Tili”, “Zhalyn”, “Zhuldiz”, “Kasym”, and various collective anthologies. He is a laureate of international and national literary competitions, winner of QALAMDAS–2025, and recipient of the Presidential Special Literary Award.

Author of the poetry collections “Inkar” (2014) and “Zhayyk Zhyrlary” (2024).