Guram Odisharia
Born 23 November 1951.
In 1975 he graduated from the Department of History and Philology of Abkhazia University. At various times he worked as a correspondent of Sukhumi Radio Company, reporter for the Abkhazian regional newspaper, consultant of the Abkhazia Branch of Writers’ Union, editor of the magazine Ritsa, director of Abkhazia branch of Merani Publishing. He regularly participated in Georgian-Abkhaz peace talks. In 2012-2014 he was the Minister of Culture and Monument Protection.
His first poem was published in 1969. He is the author of nine poetry collections and ten prose books, several plays, TV and film scripts. He is best known for his novels The Black Sea Ocean, Return to Sokhumi, The President’s Cat, the play The Sea Which is So Far Away, staged by director Temur Chkheidze. His work is translated into English, Russian, Ukrainian, Abkhaz, Turkish, Armenian and Italian.