Writers Unlimited on Tour in Istanbul - Unchartered Territories

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Reading and discussion with Antjie Krog, Rodaan Al Galidi, Adriaan Van Dis, Ömer Erdem, Gülşah Elikbank. The authors will discuss the particularities of writing within the confines of an unfamiliar cultural and political environment. Uncharted territories of the "other"s state of mind are to be discovered in this multifaceted event where both poetry and prose will be taken on board.

Information

Date and time Tuesday 2 October 2012 from 20:00 to 21:00 hrs
Location Karga - Istanbul

Adriaan van Dis

(The Netherlands, 1946) grew up in a family with a past in the Dutch East Indies. He draws on these experiences in several of his works such as My Father's War (1995), Repatriated (2002) and in Naar zachtheid en een warm omhelzen (2023). Van Dis became well known via his literary television programme Here is... Adriaan van Dis (1983-1992). In addition to novels he has written novellas, travelogues, essays and plays. He presented TV documentary series and his podcast Van Dis Ongefilterd. He has received the Constantijn Huygens Award for his entire body of work. Recent publications are the collection Vijf vrolijke verhalen (2021), the novel KliFi, woede in de republiek Nederland (2022) and the essay De kolonie mept terug: over witte arrogantie en voortschrijdend inzicht: een denkoefening en leesreis (2024)During the Writers Unlimited Festival 2026, Van Dis will be the main interview guest on Saturday afternoon, 24 January, following the publication of his new book Alles voor de reis (Everything for the Journey), and on Sunday morning, 25 January, he and interviewer Simon Dikker Hupkes will record a new episode of his podcast series Van Dis Ongefilterd (Van Dis Unfiltered) live with an audience.

Go to website of Adriaan van Dis
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Antjie Krog

(South Africa, 1952) is a poet, writer, academic and a cherished reciter. Her book Country of My Skull (2000, adapted for film in 2004) is a personal account of the proceedings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. She published her autobiographical memoirs as A Change of Tongue (2003). Krog has won many prizes, including the Hertzog prize in South Africa and the 2018 Gouden Ganzenveer in the Netherlands. An anthology of her poetry was published in Dutch in 2010, titled Hoe zeg je dat (How Do You Say That), and Begging to be Black, the sequel to Country of My Skull and A Change of Tongue.
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Rodaan Al Galidi

(Iraq, 1971) fled his country in 1998 after completing architecture studies, was given asylum in the Netherlands and settled there legally in 2007. Since then he has published poetry, novels and collections of his columns. He received the 2000 El Hizjra literature award and the 2011 Literature Prize of the European Union. In 2013 he published Liever niet, antwoordt de liefde (Maybe Not, Was Love's Reply), an anthology of refreshing love poetry. His novel Hoe ik talent voor het leven kreeg (Two Blankets, Three Sheets) tells of his experiences as an asylum seeker in the Netherlands. Al Galidi published the short story collection Duizend-en-een-nachtmerries (A Thousand and One Nightmares) in 2017 and a poem collection Neem de titel serieus (Take the title seriously) in 2018.
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Ömer Erdem

(1967) graduated from Istanbul University, Facutly of Literature. His first poem was published in Diriliş magazine. Together with a group of friends he established Kaşgar magazine. Until today seven of his poetry books have been published. His latest work of poetry is Kör and was published in 2012. He also writes weekly for the Saturday edition of Zaman and for Radikal Books, and lives in Istanbul.
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Gülşah Elikbank

was born in Istanbul in 1980. Elikbank earned her Bachelor’s degree at Istanbul University and Master’s at Marmara University. After the birth of her daughter, Elikbank moved to İzmir, where she runs a family bed-and-breakfast establishment called The Mini Fuar Hotel, the first Turkish hotel with literary concept.She has published the Sunflower Trilogy of her fantasy novels Black Breathand Blue Mountain and Red Death which made her the first Turkish woman writer of fantastic literature.
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