Prose writer and poet Z. Zhapiev was born in the village of Sary-Bulak in the Kalinin district of the Kyrgyz SSR to a collective farm worker's family.
In 1960, he graduated from Erkin-Sai Secondary School, and in 1976, he completed the correspondence department of the philological faculty of the Kyrgyz State University named after the 50th anniversary of the USSR.
He began his labor biography in 1960 as a pioneer leader in an eight-year school in his native village.
From 1963 to 1966, he served in the ranks of the Soviet Army.
In 1967, he worked as the head of the auto club of the Kalinin district culture department, and from 1971 to 1981, he was a junior editor, editor, and head of the editorial office at the publishing house "Kyrgyzstan." Since 1982, he has been working in the editorial office of the magazine "Ala-Too" as the head of the prose department and the head of the art department.
He has been publishing since 1970. His first book was the poetry collection "Sagynych" ("Longing"), published in 1971.
His main creative direction is prose. He is the author of several collections of short stories and novellas, translations into Kyrgyz of A. Grin's fairy tales, Vietnamese folk tales, "Ivan Tsarevich and the Grey Wolf," and others.
He has been a member of the Union of Soviet Writers since 1985.
SEPARATE PUBLICATIONS
in Kyrgyz language
Sagynych: Poems. — Fr.: Kyrgyzstan, 1971. — 30 pages. Longing.
Karkyra: Novellas and a novella. — Fr.: Kyrgyzstan, 1977. — 135 pages. Cranes.
Jamgyr biy: Stories. — Fr.: Kyrgyzstan, 1980. — 188 pages. Dance of the Rain.
Kek zheekh: Stories. — Fr.: Kyrgyzstan, 1984. — 86 pages. Blue Shore.
Aiyl bayany: Novella, stories. — Fr.: Mektep, 1987. — 176 pages. Village Songs.
TRANSLATIONS
Africa Sings. — Fr.: Kyrgyzstan, 1972. — 98 pages.
Grin A. The Story of One Hawk. — Fr.: Mektep, 1980. — 32 pages.
Ivan Tsarevich and the Grey Wolf. — Fr.: Mektep, 1984. — 25 pages.
The Wonderful Pearl: Vietnamese Folk Tales — Fr.: Mektep, 1985. — 32 pages.
