Istanbul to welcome poets from the world

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

The Institute for History and Social Sciences will hold the eighth International Poetistanbul (ŞiirIstanbul) Festival from June 1 to 4 in the city.

The festival has so far hosted 181 renowned poets from 67 countries as well as more than 300 Turkish poets. The poets read their poems in historical places of multicultural and multireligious Istanbul, a city with a history of being the capital of two empires, and the guest poets have left Istanbul with poetic and nostalgic memories.

As well as poetry readings, the festival will also bring together young poets and traditional female poets and feature panel discussions, an award ceremony, workshops and school events.

The festival will close June 1 at Hagia Irene with a concert by Timur Selçuk and his daughter Hazal Selçuk.

This year the festival will host 39 poets, 17 from Turkey and 12 from abroad. Among the guests will be Abdulselam Hallum, Ahmed el Şahavi, Ayşe Basri, Carolina Ilica, Clara Bella Ventura, Dumitru M. Ion, Lana, Mesut Şenol and others.

For further info, please visit www.istanbulsiirfest.com.