Yavuz Ekinci
- The distant village of my childhood
- Literature
“As a writer, I am the soul, the memory and the conscience of our time.”
Yavuz Ekinci, a Kurd, sheds light on the fate of his people in his books. In Turkey, he was given a suspended prison sentence for “terrorist propaganda” because he expressed solidarity with Kurds in a tweet in 2013. But Ekinci will not be intimidated. Writers are people, he says, who provoke, who disturb, who speak out against something and help to adopt other perspectives (Tagesspiegel).
The new novel by the writer, who was born in 1979, reflects the history of a country torn apart and tells of two peoples who are robbed of their origins, their language and everything that makes them human.
Rüstem grows up in a village in the mountains, living in an archaic world characterized by patriarchal structures, religious rites and a political conflict. His brother has joined the guerrilla fighters, his father mourns the death of his wife and suffers under his dominant grandfather. His grandmother, however, an Armenian, remains steadfastly silent. Only slowly does Rüstem discover a family secret.
Languages: German/Turkish
Translation: Oliver Kontny
Hint
Unfortunately, the event has to be postponed. The rescheduled date will be announced shortly.
