Press release lecture “Lived experience as inspiration”

The Department of Turkish and Middle Eastern Studies of the University of Cyprus and the AntiLogos Theater within the framework of their institutionalized cooperation with the common goal of developing and spreading culture,  had the honor to host a  lecture by the multi-awarded writer, screenwriter and Professor Feride Çiçekoğlu. The event  “Experiential experience as inspiration” took place on Tuesday, November 22, 2022 at the University of Cyprus,  was opened by the presentation of the guest,  by Ahmet Yıkık,  lecturer in the Department of Turkish and Middle Eastern Studies,  while the Rector Prof. Tasos Christofides welcomed the guest. The event was attended by members of the academic staff of the University of Cyprus, students and several people of culture.
In her presentation, Professor Feride Çiçekoğlu referred to what she experienced during her four-year imprisonment by the Evren dictatorship, and explained how these experiences were  transformed into her first novel, “Don’t Shoot the Kite”, and later into  a play scenario made into a film, winning screenplay awards in Turkey and Cannes. As a dynamic voice of modern Turkish literature, which is steadily opening up to the outside world, the speaker referred to the experiences of refugees through the narratives of Greeks and Turks who moved as part of the mandatory population exchange between Greece and Turkey, and to the nostalgia of the place of origin , which inspired  another of her books.
“Putting the pain of lived experience into stories is magical. Stories outlive sorrows. They transcend borders, cultures and languages,” said Mrs. Çiçekoğlu.
The presentation was followed by a discussion on the importance of lived experiences and the writing of literary works.