I have worked and travelled in Kyrgyzstan since 2018, taking on various projects relating to culture, journalism, business and media.
These projects include:
- Covering Kyrgyzstan’s current affairs as senior editor of The Times of Central Asia. In this role I spoke at the 2024 CAMCA Forum in Bishkek.
- Writing articles on a variety of topics in Kyrgyzstan – from the country’s snow leopards and endangered birds, to its diplomacy, and the city of Osh.
- Writing subtitles for the documentary film Zhanyrtuu (Renewal) by director Victoria Arkhangelskaya, about a mother caring for her disabled daughter.
- Editing the historical novel The Wanderer by the Kyrgyz writer Begizhan Ahmedov – set in the mountains of Central Asia, and once named as Kyrgyzstan’s book of the year.
- Spending three years (2016-2018) as the Kyrgyzstan (and all of Central Asia) market analyst at the alcohol industry research firm IWSR. During this time I visited Bishkek to meet with alcohol companies, and write reports on wine & spirits trends.
— See summaries of my projects with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
There is a collection of my best photographs from journeys in Kyrgyzstan — and other countries — on my photography store, Life in Central Asia.
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Jonathan Campion is a writer, journalist, editor and linguist, working in the Eurasia region. Read about his work here, and contact him here.
