Hamid Ismailov is an Uzbek journalist and writer born in Tokmok, Kyrgyzstan in 1954. He was forced to flee Uzbekistan in 1992 and relocated to the United Kingdom, where he began working with the BBC World Service. He remained with the BBC for 25 years before leaving on 30 April 2019. Ismailov's literary works have faced censorship in his home country and are banned in Uzbekistan. His career has been marked by his work as both a journalist and creative writer, contributing to international media while maintaining his literary output.