Dear Dr Sivri, Ever since I can remember, I have had a problem with gambling. Over the years I have lost a lot of money, and it hasn’t been too big a problem because most of the time I have been single, and I have always managed to find money from somewhere or another. If […]
Based on the mystery about the world’s oldest temple Göbekli Tepe, acclaimed TV drama Atiye (The Gift) was the most popular series of the year 2019 on Netflix Turkey, despite only being released on 27 December*. The second Netflix original Turkish series, Atiye was given the thumbs up by non-Turkish audiences and was recommended by […]
On Sunday, 19 January, a packed house at Camden’s Jazz Café celebrated the music of Barış Manço – one of the godfathers of Anatolian Rock. This legend, who passed away 21 years ago today (1 February 1999), had a profound influence on Turkish culture. Known for his long hair, prominent jewellery and flamboyant stage costumes, […]
Although the term ‘Istanbul Psychedelia’ defines the music of BaBa ZuLa pretty well, their inspiration is not just Istanbul, but the whole of Anatolia. The band is deeply fascinated by the sounds of the late 60s and 70s when Anatolian Pop, which later converged into Anatolian Rock, was king. Retaining this influence at their core, […]
Skewd came onto the radar while I was judging the British Kebab Awards in 2017: chef/director Maz Demir won Chef of the Year then and in 2018. I went to see what was going on in EN4. Their slick website and edgy modern logo offered a few clues: attitude, considered branding, and a touch of […]
This is story-telling at its brilliant best. Personal, incisive, at times funny, yet also sad and highly thought-provoking. Dreams Die Hard also contains the best-ever explanation of Brexit courtesy of the good old British fry-up. A one-woman show, written and performed by Rachel Karafistan (whose grandfather Mehmet Karafistan was from Yeşilırmak, Cyprus) with direction and […]
Award-winning Turkish drama Sibel made its UK debut on 6 December, Thursday evening at the birthplace of British cinema, Regent Street Cinema during London Film Week 2018. Sibel is the third collaboration between Çağla Zencirci and Guillaume Giovanetti and explores the “topic of exclusion and our relationship to the unknown, to the ‘Other” finely. Presented […]
When Orhan Pamuk’s name is mentioned, a lot comes to mind: Turkey, Turkish Literature, the Nobel Prize, East and the West, history and politics. Translated by Ekin Oklap, The Red Haired Woman is an exciting journey into the mysterious unknown with its multi-layered structure, originality and imagery in the context of individuality and authoritarianism. Pamuk […]
In 2016, the Queen’s House in southeast London re-opened following a £3 million restoration. Timed to coincide with this historic building’s 400th anniversary, it features new artwork by Turner Prize winner Richard Wright. The 17th-century building was originally designed in 1616 for Anne of Denmark (wife of James I) in the grounds of Greenwich […]
I finally had the chance to listen to the legendary Turkish musician Selda Bağcan live at her recent concert at KOKO in Camden. I have known of her since my early childhood (the 90s), thanks to my parents who admire her just like many other people their age in Turkey. Today, it’s funny to think […]
