Galsan Tschinag


Galsan Tschinag, is a Mongolian writer of novels, poems, and essays in the German language, though he hails from a Tuvan background. He is also often described as a Shaman, and is also a teacher and an actor.
WWW galsan.info

Life

Born in Bayan-Ölgii Province in the upper Altai Mountains in western Mongolia, the youngest son of a Tuvan shaman, Galsan majored in German studies at the Karl Marx University in Leipzig, East Germany. He did his thesis work under Erwin Strittmatter, and upon graduation began to work as a German teacher at the National University of Mongolia. In 1976 his teaching license was revoked because of his "political untrustworthiness". He continued to work twelve-hour shifts, shuttling between all four of the Mongolian universities. In 1980, at the age of 36, Galsan was diagnosed with a life-threatening heart condition. He later recovered from the condition and credits his "shamanic powers" and plenty of exercise for saving his life.
Today, the author spends most of the year at his home in the Mongolian capital city of Ulaanbaatar, together with his family of nearly 20. He also spends much time giving readings in the German-speaking world and across Europe, as well as seeking to get closer to his Tuvan roots in the western Mongolian steppes. Though he still writes mainly in German, his books have been translated into many other languages. In addition to his writing, Galsan is an activist for the Tuvan minority and practices shamanistic healing.

Works in English

  • 2004
  • 2004
  • 2004
  • 2004
  • 2004
  • 2006
  • 2007
  • 2007
  • 2013

Works in German

  • 1981 "Eine tuwinische Geschichte und andere Erzählungen"
  • 1993 "Das Ende des Liedes"
  • 1994 "Der blaue Himmel"
  • 1995 "Zwanzig und ein Tag"
  • 1996 "Nimmer werde ich dich zähmen können"
  • 1997 "Die Karawane"
  • 1997 "Im Land der zornigen Winde"
  • 1997 "Der siebzehnte Tag"
  • 1999 "Die graue Erde"
  • 1999 "Der Wolf und die Hündin"
  • 2000 "Der weiße Berg"
  • 2001 "Dojnaa"
  • 2001 "Das Ende des Liedes"
  • 2002 "Tau und Gras"
  • 2003 "Die Karawane"
  • 2004 "Das geraubte Kind"
  • 2005 "Mein Altai – Erzählungen"
  • 2007 "Die neun Träume des Dschinghis Khan"
  • 2008 "Die Rückkehr"
  • 2008 "Auf der großen blauen Straße – Geschichten"
  • 2011 "Das andere Dasein"
  • 2012 "Gold und Staub"
  • 2013 "Der Mann, die Frau, das Schaf, das Kind"

Awards