Shamkenov Amanzhol was born in 1927 in Irtysh area, Pavlodar region. Graduated from Kazakh state university named after S.M. Kirov, philology faculty in 1950. He worked in editorial offices of republican magazines and newspapers. He was the editor-in-chief of literary and drama broadcasting of the Kazakh radio, the editor-in-chief on repertoire of the Ministry of Culture of Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, the editor-in-chief of Kazgos-komizdat, the editor-in-chief of “Zhazushy” publishing house. Now he is the director of bureau of promotion of the Writers' Union of Kazakhstan. Member of CPSU.
He is known as the poet, the playwright, the prose writer. The first collection of verses of A.Shamkenov called “A thought of the student” appeared in 1951. Followed books: “Зеленое джайляу” (“Green dzhailau”), “Лирические стихи” (“Lyrical verses”), “Часы” (“Hours”), “Дыхание степи” (“Breath of the steppe”), “Целинная тетрадь” (“A notebook of Tselin”), “Рассвет над джайляу” (“Dawn over a dzhailau”), “Сын Иртыша” (“The Son of Irtysh”), “Отважная душа” (“Brave soul”), “Город любви” (“The city of love”), “Стремя” (“Stirrup”), “Джайляу-дастан” (“Dzhailau-dastan”, the novel in verses, 1978), and others.
Plays and stories of A. Shamkenov published as separate books: “Тайна одной любви” (“Secret of one love”, 1960), “Пьесы” (“Plays”, 1968), “Найду тебя” (“Find you”, 1975), collection of stories “Над волной” (“Over a wave”, 1967), “Утро в степи” (“Morning in the steppe”, 1979). He participated in the translations of works of A. Pushkin, M. Lermontov, G. Heine, S. Yesenin, K. Kuliyev and others.
He was awarded with the Certificate of honor of the Supreme Council of Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic.
