Spaces of Culture

Every poem is a meeting full of obscurities and open to surprises. The Gaziantep International Poetry Festival: A Mosaic of Metaphors, in cooperation with Offline Istanbul, brings the spirit of world poetry to Gaziantep along with poets from Turkey and abroad. The theme of ‘A Mosaic of Metaphors’ takes its natural inspiration from the city’s ancient history as a richly diverse setting for human interaction, one which continues to this day as Gaziantep meets refugees with open arms, further adding to its opulent mosaic heritage. The festival’s opening aptly takes place in the garden of the world-renowned Zeugma Museum with poets Alí Calderón Farfán (Mexico), A.C. Hello (France), Bas Kwakman (Holland), Hanna Rajs Lara (Sweden), Matthias Göritz (Germany), Mel Kenne (U.S.A.), and Volha Hapeyeva (Belarus) as they read their poems alongside Turkish poets Şükrü Erbaş, Salih Bolat, Kadir Aydemir and Nilay Özer. On the second day of the festival, following a set of poetry readings and talks, master translator and poet Ülkü Tamer, a lauded cultural figurehead who passed away last April, will be commemorated through an honorary reading of his work accompanied by a musical performance by Sedat Anar on hammered dulcimer and Damla Gürkan Anar on the bendir. On the final day of the festival, the poets are to share their own experiences with the audience in a set of talks entitled ‘Poetry on The Road: Journey, Cultures and Literature’ and ‘How Colorful Is Your Poetry Mosaic? Multiculturalism and Literature.’ The closing event takes place in the historic Kendirli Church’s impressive and regal atmosphere. After the final poems are read, Hannan Habash and her talented group will bring an even more ethereal and eclectic quality to the event by singing songs in Arabic.

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