Dilek Mayatürk was born in Istanbul in 1986, where she also began her studies in sociology. She continued her studies at the Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt and then worked as a documentary film producer and author for various media. She writes poetry in German and Turkish. Her first volume of poetry »Cesaret
born in Diyarbakır, is a Kurdish author of poems, novels, and short stories as well as editor for various magazines and publishing houses. She composed music and also wrote song lyrics. In particular, she deals with Kurdish issues in her poetry collections »Mülteci Düşlers« (2013; tr: Refugee Dream), »Ateşe Bulut
Yavuz Ekinci was born in 1979 in Turkey. He is an author, scriptwriter and an educator. He published nine books and has received significant recognition for his works. »Cennetin Kayıp Toprakları« (2012; tr: The Faraway Village of My Childhood), the story of a woman who survived the Armenian Genocide, was
born in 1986 in Ankara, studied Turkish language and literature at Boğaziçi Üniversitesi in Istanbul. The author and LGBTIQ* activist has published four story collections and one novel and co-founded the #MeToo movement in the Turkish publishing industry. Due to political and gender repression in her home country, she now
born in Istanbul in 1987, studied at the Boston and Marmara universities. She began her career as an investigative journalist in 2010 at the »Milliyet« newspaper. She now reports from Turkey for Deutsche Welle. Her main areas of interest are gender issues, migration, and freedom of expression. She also writes
was interested in monument protection, museums, and the preservation of historical buildings during her university studies. Her academic stations include the University of Bahrain, the Berlin Technical University, and the School of Environmental Design and Management at the University of Portsmouth. Aygen is currently a lecturer at the Mimar Sinan
Seyran Ateš was born in Turkey in 1963. Her family moved to Berlin in 1969, where she studied law and started working as a lawyer in 1997. She was awarded the German Cross of Merit for her commitment, especially to women’s and immigrants’ rights. Owing to continued threats she gave
Seray Şahiner, born in Bursa in 1984, grew up in Istanbul, where she studied journalism until 2007. Whilst a student she worked for the culture magazine »Hayvan« and was a member of the editorial staff of the literary magazine »Aylak«. She also co-published the fanzines »Kaygan Zemin« and »Kara Kutu«.
was born in Ankara and grew up in Istanbul. In 2008 she graduated with a degree in Theater Studies and Dramaturgy from the University of Istanbul. After some experience as an assistant director and actress at Istanbul theaters, she came to Germany in 2008 to study drama at the Alanus
Sema Kaygusuz was born in 1972 in the Turkish coastal town Samsun. Her childhood was marked by frequent moves, as her father was often posted by the military to different towns in Anatolia. This granted the author glimpses into the diversity of landscape and culture in her home country at
Perihan Mağden was born in Istanbul, Turkey in 1960. After graduating from the city’s Robert College, where she already challenged the system, she studied Psychology at the Bosporus University. In 2006, the Turkish government filed charges against her for an article she published as a columnist a year earlier in
Oya Baydar was born in 1940 in Istanbul, Turkey. She went to Notre Dame de Sion, a French private school in Istanbul. Inspired by French writer Françoise Sagan, she published her first novel while still a student in school. She attended Istanbul University and graduated in 1964 with a degree
