ABOUT
Sufian Zhemukhov is an award-winning author and performer. Sufian’s solo shows have been featured off-Broadway and nationwide. NPR presented his show Flirting Like an American as "a show about romance, culture, and one immigrant's story" and his show From Russia Without Love as "an escapist James Bond parody." Sufian's stories are based on his personal experience as a first-generation immigrant and political analyst, which might be funnier than it sounds. He served as the 2023 Teller in Residence at the International Storytelling Center, received the 2020 JJ Reneaux Emerging Artist Award from the National Storytelling Network, and his research won the 2019 Best Book Award from the International Studies Association.
Watch & Listen
Blueberry Diplomacy -
- VIDEO: NPR / The Moth Radio Hour
- AUDIO: NPR / The Moth Radio Hour
Jesus in a Shoe Store -
- VIDEO: PBS / World Channel's Stories from the Stage
- AUDIO - NPR / The Moth Radio Hour
Valentine’s Card -
- VIDEO: PBS / World Channel's Stories from the Stage
Read
- My Storytelling Gene, Storytelling Arts of Indiana. January 2, 2025
- The Child Catcher, in Clarity: Stories About The Moments That Changed It All. The Pathfinders Collective, 2024
Reviews
"Zhemukhov’s quick ascendence on the storytelling scene has impressed his colleagues" - Kim O'Connor, A 2024 National Storytelling Festival Preview
"Zhemukhov is a master storyteller" - Kathy Laluk, Rochester City Magazine
"His humor, in a word, is dry. So very, very dry. Dry as a desert dry martini. Hold the ice" - Lisa Gauthier Mitchison, NUVO.
“Flirting Like an American - Charming” - Alix Cohen, Woman Around Town
“Show about romance, culture, and one immigrant's story” - Beth Adams, NPR
"Zhemukhov is an excellent raconteur" - Andy Arnold, DC Metro Theater Arts
"His tales of trial and error in adjusting to American life have earned him national honors" - Chris Rogers, Winona Post
Professional Awards
2023 Teller in Residence, International Storytelling Center
2022 Exchange Place Teller, National Storytelling Festival
2020 J.J. Reneaux Emerging Artist Award, National Storytelling Network
2018 National Story Slam finalist, National Storytelling Festival