Haydar Ergülen: Gazel Here, Gazel There

A poet, an essayist, a doyen of contemporary Turkish poetry, born in 1956 in Eskişehir, northwest of the country. He studied sociology in Ankara, was as a lecturer at Anadolu University, currently lives in Istanbul, works as a copywriter, and teaches creative writing. He has published 16 poetry collections, including 40 Şiir ve Bir [40 and One Poems], Keder Gibi Ödünç [Borrowing as a Sorrow], and Üzgün Kediler Gazeli [Gazel about Sad Cats]. In addition, he has published 10 essayist books and a children’s book. “There is a strong poetry tradition in Turkey. Our poetry has been influenced by the mystical poetry of the Pre-Ottoman and Ottoman periods, Folk poetry and the Divan poetry (Palace poetry). The Republican period is full of wonderful examples of modern poetry. Many contemporary poets, whether Muslims or secular-oriented groups, Turks or Kurds, all maintain this powerful tradition while writing their own original poetry,” says Ergülen about the situation of Turkish poetry.