The Government in Kurdistan is waging war against their own people, primarily, and in particular, against women. Sultan Yaray lives in Amed (Diyarbakir) as a poet writing in Kurdish. She has currently published two volumes of poetry. Meral Şimşek is a Turkish-Kurdish writer and poet, also from Amed. In January 2021, Meral Şimşek was charged with "membership in a terrorist organisation" and "terrorist propaganda". Her case caused a great stir. In mid-July 2022, PEN Berlin managed to bring Meral Şimşek from Turkey to Germany two days before a trial date. In 2022, she received the Theodor Kramer Prize for Writing in Resistance and Exile for her lyrical and literary work.

In conversation with Hevin Kavakurt, the two poets present their works and establish a context for the current situation in their home country.

This event is part of the INTERNATIONAL POETRY FESTIVAL BASEL
You can find more detailed information about the programme at lyrikfestival-basel.ch.