Gusel Jachina

Gusel Yakhina, born in 1977 in Kazan, Tatarstan, is a Russian author and filmmaker of Tatar descent. She studied German and English at the State Pedagogical University in Kazan and graduated from the Moscow Film School. Her debut novel, Zuleikha Opens Her Eyes, received several awards, including the Big Book Award and the Yasnaya Polyana Award, both in 2015. Her other novels include Volga Children and Volga to the Caspian Sea. Her books have been translated into dozens of languages.