The Manas epic is being recorded as a 50-hour audiobook, read in verse in 20-25 minute parts for schools

In Kyrgyzstan, journalist and public figure Shayyrbek Abdyrakhman uulu is producing an audiobook of the Manas epic. The full text will run for 45-50 hours when finished. About 12-13 hours are already recorded, and he expects to complete the work in roughly a year and a half.

He previously retold the trilogy of Manas, Semetei and Seitek in prose over four years. Individual episodes on his YouTube channel reached up to 100,000 views, and many young viewers wrote that they finally understood the epic this way. The new recordings do not imitate a manaschi's performance: the original verse is read expressively so that listeners can follow the plot.

The author says the epic's language is full of archaisms and words that have dropped out of the literary language, so even adults struggle with a manaschi's recitation. At public events, manaschis usually perform for five to ten minutes, which is too short to convey the whole story. The 20-25 minute recordings are meant first of all for pupils and teachers; Kyrgyz people living abroad have also shown interest.

The Kyrgyz Ministry of Culture, Information and Youth Policy supports the project. He plans to record all three parts of the trilogy and then the smaller epics, among them Janyl Myrza, Kurmanbek, Er Toshtuk, Janysh-Baiysh and Kojojash.