"A magnificent collection of contemporary Turkish poetry in translation. Ambitious and diverse, it embraces poets whose works defy and rethink traditional Turkish poetry while experimenting with new poetic forms. Meticulously translated to preserve each poet's distinct style, this anthology is bound to transform our notion of Turkish poetry as world literature."—İclal Vanwesenbeeck, State University of New York at Fredonia
"An essential collection of poems from a tradition that deserves far more attention than it gets. The poems gathered here address perennial themes like love and loss in styles that are both engagingly experimental and typographically audacious. Coupled with insightful introductions, Giritlioğlu’s skillful translations are indispensable for anyone interested in the contemporary Turkish poetry scene."—Erik Mortenson, author of Translating the Counterculture: The Reception of the Beats in Turkey
Description
The Pulse of Contemporary Turkish offers a unique glimpse into the vibrant world of Turkish poetry, featuring 170 poems by sixty-two poets, most of whom are still active today. From neo-lyrical verses to avant-garde experiments, this anthology reflects the rich tapestry of voices emerging from Turkey’s literary scene.
With a balanced representation of gender, sexual orientation, and ethnicity, this collection brings together works from poets associated with twenty-five different publishing houses, including both major literary institutions and smaller presses nurturing fresh talent. Oxford Turkologist Laurent Mignon provides the foreword, complemented by two introductory essays that contextualize the sociopolitical climate and literary trends shaping Turkish poetry in the new millennium and highlighting key events, journals, and manifestos that have influenced the art form.
About the Author
Buğra Giritlioğlu is the founding editor of the queer publishing house obiçim yayınlar. In addition to a novel and three poetry collections, he has published translations appear in such journals as Chicago Review, Mantis, and Middle Eastern Literatures.
Daniel P. Scher is a scientist at 21PSTEM and coauthor of numerous mathematics texts. He is the current managing editor of the publications team at OrigamiUSA.
April 2025