Friends, volunteers and locals couldn’t have made a better Turkish Poetry Festival had Nazim Hikmet attended himself. I didn’t know a poetry festival could be so amazing, but add-in a few acclaimed poets, excellent Turkish organizers, and the best Turkish cooks this side of the Atlantic make for a day of celebration. A blend of music, laughter and a major helping of Turkish felicity equal a better understanding of poetry.
The Second Annual Nazim Hikmet Poetry Festival greeted a full house from around the Triangle reminiscent of the best in Hikmet’s Turkish poetry, peppered with award-winning poets from Turkey, America and the Triangle.
The prominence of the day’s activities focused on the astonishing literary volumes by Turkish Poet Nazim Hikmet and his love of poetry. He is the foremost modern Turkish poet, who due to his political views spent many years in prison. While imprisoned, Hikmet amassed numerous published works translated in forty languages before his death and revolutionized Turkish poetry and the Turkish language. Read more on this icon of poetry and how, in 1950, Nazim Hikmet was awarded the World Peace Prize.
Keynote speaker Dr. Mutlu Konuk Blasing traveled from Brown University in Rhode Island to give impact and focus to this event. An accomplished poet and author, renowned for her literary translations of Nazim Hikmet’s works into English, Dr. Konuk Blasing opened the festival with a commentary on Nazim Hikmet’s exile.
Chris Salerno launched the day with a two-hour workshop for poetry enthusiasts. Recently, Chris received the 2009 Independent Poetry Prize from The Independent Weekly.
Afterwards, a line-up of highly-recognized poets filled the hall, clearly marking the way for a much larger venue next year. Jeffrey Beam, a prolific author and poet with an opera made from his vast archive of poetry, paid homage to the Turkish culture with readings to highlight the multiculturalism of poetry and the world. Beam works as a botanical librarian in the Biology-Chemistry Library at UNC-Chapel Hill and serves as poetry editor for the print and online literary journal, Oyster Boy Review.
Joseph Donahue of Duke University brought quiet thought to poet aficionados with his poetic-sequence style which brought out the flavor of his many years of writing and editing contemporary poetry and essays. Joseph is acclaimed as one of the major poets of his time.
An unforgettable Jaki Shelton Green’s rapturous voice roared spirituality in her readings and captured the audience with her mischievous smile and vocal excitement. Understandably an award-winning poet many times over, it’s no wonder she’s a Creativity Coach and an international consultant on arts and humanities programs.
No event of such literary caliber would be complete without a competition of poetry from some of the best and brightest around the world. With over 500 submissions worldwide, ten finalists emerged, many already with myriad accolades to their credit.
No event brimming with poetry and Turkish hospitality could close without an interlude of Turkish music and singing to entice festival goers to linger long after the festival. Everyone gathered for a full Turkish buffet dinner prepared by a volunteer consortium of local Turkish women. The gastronomical feast of the Turkish culture graced an unending table for guests to indulge topped off with dessert and wine.
How could anyone expect such a day to commune with acclaimed poets and authors, learning and a poetry appreciation all for the low price of FREE? How could this event find its way into a Turkish newspaper in Turkey? I’ll tell you how...with great sponsors, supporters, writers and media.
Sincere thanks and appreciation go to ATA-NC, Town of Cary, Turkish Cultural Foundation, Duke University Center for International Studies and the Turkish organizing committee. What an epic experience!
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