Bejan Matur
Encyclopedia
Bejan Matur was born of an Alevi
Kurdish family on 14 September 1968 in the ancient Hittite city of Marash in Southeast Turkey. Her first school education was in her village; later she attended the long-established Lycée in the region's most important cultural center Gaziantep
. These years were spent living with her sisters far from their parents. She studied Law at Ankara University
, but has never practiced. In her university years, she was published in several literary periodicals. Reviewers found her poetry "dark and mystic". The shamanist
poetry with its pagan perceptions, belonging to the past rather than the present, of her birthplace and the nature and life of her village, attracted much attention.
Her first book, Rüzgar Dolu Konaklar (Winds Howl Through the Mansions), published in 1996, unrelated to the contemporary mainstream of Turkish poet
s and poetry
, won several literary prizes. Her second book, Tanrı Görmesin Harflerimi (God Must Not See The Letter of My Script) in 1999 was warmly greeted. Two further books, appeared at the same time in 2002, Ayın Büyüttüğü Oğullar (The Sons Reared by the Moon) and Onun Çölünde (In His Desert), have been continuing the distinctive language and world of imagery special to herself and her poetry.
Her poem has been translated up to 17 languages. She has a translated book, which published by ARC in England
, called In the Temple of a Patient God.
Her translated book in German and French published in Luxembourg
by PHİ Publishing House.
Her last book, İbrahim’in Beni Terketmesi (Leaving of Abraham), published in March 2008, was considered by the critics to be her best book ever. In that book, her new way of imagery was considered as mystique. She created a personal ontology
and a personal mythology inspired by the thousands year of Sufi Tradition.
May 2009, she has published an album-book called Doğunun Kapısı: Diyarbakır (The Gate of East: Diyarbakir). The book is about the city called Diyarbakir
, which is ancestral homeland of Kurdish and Armenian people. She has written a history of the city, which is nearly 3000 years old. Through her poetic text and the photos you can see the history of the city form ancient time to present. The book is considered by the critics, as one of the best book ever written about an Anatolia
n city.
In 2010, she published Kader Denizi (Sea of Fate) with the photographs taken by Mehmet Günyeli after the exhibition of Sea of Fate in the prestigious galleries in Istanbul
and Ankara
.
In 2010, she contributed to Son Defa with a monologue about love, played by Tiyatro Oyunevi and to Özgürlük (Freedom) with a poem called Dağ (Mountain), published with the cooperation of Amnesty International
.
In February, 2011 she published her recent book called Dağın Ardına Bakmak (Looking Behind the Mountain) which is her first prose book. It is about the PKK Guerillas. For the book, she went to steep Kandil Mountain, where PKK is located and hided, for making interviews with the guerrillas, fight against the Turkish Army
. The book is the first attempt to show off the personal stories and traumas of the guerillas behind the frontiers in the war.
Since 2005, she writes regular articles for the Op-Ed of daily newspaper called Zaman
as a columnist. She sometimes appeared in an English circulated newspaper Today’s Zaman. Mainly, she writes about Kurdish politics, Armenian issue, daily politics, minority problems, prison literature
, and women issues. She also runs of a cultural foundation called DKSV (Diyarbakır Cultural Art Foundation) which is located in Diyarbakır. She is conducting social projects with children, women and the younger population who were removed from their village.
She is making a tv programme which called ATLAS is about culture, art and politics.
Bejan Matur, who believes there is no frontier between poetry and life, travels the world like a long-term desert nomad
. She stops by Istanbul, a city she sometimes lives in.
Alevi
The Alevi are a religious and cultural community, primarily in Turkey, constituting probably more than 15 million people....
Kurdish family on 14 September 1968 in the ancient Hittite city of Marash in Southeast Turkey. Her first school education was in her village; later she attended the long-established Lycée in the region's most important cultural center Gaziantep
Gaziantep
Gaziantep , Ottoman Turkish: Ayintab) previously and still informally called Antep; ʻayn tāb is a city in southeast Turkey and amongst the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. The city is located 185 kilometres northeast of Adana and 127 kilometres by road north of Aleppo, Syria...
. These years were spent living with her sisters far from their parents. She studied Law at Ankara University
Ankara University
Ankara University is a public university in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. It was the first higher education institution founded in the Turkish Republic....
, but has never practiced. In her university years, she was published in several literary periodicals. Reviewers found her poetry "dark and mystic". The shamanist
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
poetry with its pagan perceptions, belonging to the past rather than the present, of her birthplace and the nature and life of her village, attracted much attention.
Her first book, Rüzgar Dolu Konaklar (Winds Howl Through the Mansions), published in 1996, unrelated to the contemporary mainstream of Turkish poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
s and poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, won several literary prizes. Her second book, Tanrı Görmesin Harflerimi (God Must Not See The Letter of My Script) in 1999 was warmly greeted. Two further books, appeared at the same time in 2002, Ayın Büyüttüğü Oğullar (The Sons Reared by the Moon) and Onun Çölünde (In His Desert), have been continuing the distinctive language and world of imagery special to herself and her poetry.
Her poem has been translated up to 17 languages. She has a translated book, which published by ARC in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, called In the Temple of a Patient God.
Her translated book in German and French published in Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
by PHİ Publishing House.
Her last book, İbrahim’in Beni Terketmesi (Leaving of Abraham), published in March 2008, was considered by the critics to be her best book ever. In that book, her new way of imagery was considered as mystique. She created a personal ontology
Ontology
Ontology is the philosophical study of the nature of being, existence or reality as such, as well as the basic categories of being and their relations...
and a personal mythology inspired by the thousands year of Sufi Tradition.
May 2009, she has published an album-book called Doğunun Kapısı: Diyarbakır (The Gate of East: Diyarbakir). The book is about the city called Diyarbakir
Diyarbakir
Diyarbakır is one of the largest cities in southeastern Turkey...
, which is ancestral homeland of Kurdish and Armenian people. She has written a history of the city, which is nearly 3000 years old. Through her poetic text and the photos you can see the history of the city form ancient time to present. The book is considered by the critics, as one of the best book ever written about an Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
n city.
In 2010, she published Kader Denizi (Sea of Fate) with the photographs taken by Mehmet Günyeli after the exhibition of Sea of Fate in the prestigious galleries in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
and Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
.
In 2010, she contributed to Son Defa with a monologue about love, played by Tiyatro Oyunevi and to Özgürlük (Freedom) with a poem called Dağ (Mountain), published with the cooperation of Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
.
In February, 2011 she published her recent book called Dağın Ardına Bakmak (Looking Behind the Mountain) which is her first prose book. It is about the PKK Guerillas. For the book, she went to steep Kandil Mountain, where PKK is located and hided, for making interviews with the guerrillas, fight against the Turkish Army
Turkish Army
The Turkish Army or Turkish Land Forces is the main branch of the Turkish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The modern history of the army began with its formation after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire...
. The book is the first attempt to show off the personal stories and traumas of the guerillas behind the frontiers in the war.
Since 2005, she writes regular articles for the Op-Ed of daily newspaper called Zaman
Zaman (newspaper)
Zaman is a major, high-circulation daily newspaper in Turkey. It was founded in 1986 and was the first Turkish daily to go online in 1995. It contains national , international, business and other news...
as a columnist. She sometimes appeared in an English circulated newspaper Today’s Zaman. Mainly, she writes about Kurdish politics, Armenian issue, daily politics, minority problems, prison literature
Prison literature
Prison literature is a literary genre characterized by literature that is written while the author is confined in a location against his will, such as a prison, jail or house arrest...
, and women issues. She also runs of a cultural foundation called DKSV (Diyarbakır Cultural Art Foundation) which is located in Diyarbakır. She is conducting social projects with children, women and the younger population who were removed from their village.
She is making a tv programme which called ATLAS is about culture, art and politics.
Bejan Matur, who believes there is no frontier between poetry and life, travels the world like a long-term desert nomad
Nomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
. She stops by Istanbul, a city she sometimes lives in.
Books
- Rüzgâr Dolu Konaklar (Winds Howl Through the Mansions),1996, Poetry
- Onun Çölünde (In His Desert), 2002, Poetry
- Ayın Büyüttüğü Oğullar (Sons Reared by the Moon), 2002, Poetry
- İbrahim’in Beni Terk Etmesi (Leaving of Abraham), 2008, Poetry
- In the Temple of a Patient God, 2003, Poetry-A Collection of her translated works
- Doğunun Kapısı: Diyarbakır (The Gate of East: Diyarbakir), 2009, Poetry
- Kader Denizi (Sea of Fate), 2010, Poetry
- Dağın Ardına Bakmak (Looking Behind the Mountain), 2011
External links
- Transcript-review.org , Bejan Matur's Poems
- Şiir.gen.tr, Bejan Matur's Poems
- As a columnist her articles in Zaman Newspaper
- Today's Zaman
- Matur's Books