Poet and journalist Serik Bokan passed away today, reports the national portal “Adyrna.”
He entered the world of literature in the 2000s and has now left us. Born in East Turkestan, Bokan worked for Zhas Qazaq Uni newspaper and Un magazine, and he was a prizewinner in national poetry competitions. For several years, he served as a journalist on the “Asyl Arna” TV channel.
The sad news was shared by his friend Toktarali Tanzharyk on Facebook. He wrote, “Forgive me, Seke!.. Our poet friend Serik Bokan has passed away. There are people whose nature does not conform to any rules or restrictions. Seke, Serik Bokan, was such a person. He never learned the tricks of this world. He struggled, searching for himself and for a community that would appreciate him. He kept running into obstacles, often finding himself at a dead end. He once told me that a stump always stood in his way. He was pure and vulnerable, though he hid it. He wanted to prove himself but couldn’t. In a society like this, there’s no place for someone so unique. Perhaps, as he wrote, ‘Oh, those good old days,’ he was only truly happy in his childhood.
In the summer, we happened to meet at a market in Almaty, exchanged numbers, and stayed in touch. I asked for his poems. He agreed and sent them. He wanted to talk only about literature. How I wish I could have shared his work with others here on social media. But most of his poems must have been lost. He probably didn’t save them… For now, I’ll share one of his poems. Rest in peace, my friend!”
