Chingiz Aitmatov (December 12, 1928 – June 10, 2008) was a world-renowned Kyrgyz author, screenwriter, and diplomat, widely regarded as one of the most influential and celebrated figures in Central Asian and Soviet literature.

Born in the village of Sheker in the Talas Region of Kyrgyzstan, Aitmatov wrote masterfully in both Kyrgyz and Russian. He achieved international fame with his 1958 novella Jamila, which was famously described by French poet Louis Aragon as "the world's most beautiful love story." His other literary masterpieces include The First Teacher, Farewell, Gulsary!, The White Ship, and The Day Lasts More Than a Hundred Years.