PTC Summer Tour brings Turkish poetry to UK audiences

By: Erica Jarnes

Tuesday 4th July 2017

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind for Team PTC. We published two gorgeous new chapbooks, and we finally got to introduce their authors to each other 'in real life'. Karin Karakaşlı made her first visit to London - the first of many, we hope! We took Karin and Sarah, Bejan and Jen, and of course our wonderful bridge translator Canan, to meet warm and enthusiastic audiences across England. Thank you if you were among them, and nice to meet you!

During our 2017 Summer Tour we made a showcase reading in the heart of London's Turkish community, met translation students in Norwich, discussed the essence of home and history at Asia House and the Free Word Centre, joined in the world's friendliest open mic at Studio 3 Arts (an amazing community arts centre in Barking who we will definitely be working with again), and attended two major UK literature festivals. We met seasoned poetry fans, members of the Turkish diaspora and even a group of school children - inspiring one student to stand up and present a poem of her own. Our week ended with a packed-out reading in Ledbury where people actually gasped and cheered each poem as it was presented in its English version. As I said, it's been a whirlwind!

Here are some highlights from the tour. We'll be releasing bilingual poem podcasts by our poet-pairs over the coming months, and of course the chapbooks are available to buy over on our Shop page.
Our next Tour will happen in October - why not keep an eye on our plans by joining our mailing list.

I want to say a last thank you to our supporters - Arts Council England and the Prince Claus Foundation in particular - the Centre for Turkey Studies, all our venue partners and of course everyone who joined us in person or through social media. Till next time...

Erica