Bejan Matur

Bejan Matur is a Turkish poet, author, and columnist. She was born in Pazarcık, the district of Kahramanmaraş, in 1968. She earned a law degree from Ankara University Faculty of Law.

Her most recent book is Aşk / olmayan (Love/less) (2016). Her first book, Rüzgar Dolu Konaklar (Winds Howl Through the Mansions) published in 1996 received the Halil Kocagöz Award, Orhan Murat Anburnu Poem Award, and others.

In 1999, she published Tanri Görmesin Harflerimi (God Must Not See The Letter of My Script) in 1999 which was followed by two more books in 2002: Ayın Büyüttüğü Oğullar (The Sons Reared by the Moon) and Onun Çölünde (In His Desert). Other books she has published are In the Temple of a Patient God (2003), a collection translated works; İbrahim’in Beni Terk Etmesi (How Abraham Abandoned Me) in 2008, Doğunun Kapısı: Diyarbakır (The Gate of East: Diyarbakir) in 2009; Kader Denizi (Sea of Fate) in 2010; Dağın Ardına Bakmak (Looking Behind the Mountain) in 2011; and Son Dag in 2015. Her poetry has been translated into 36 languages. 

In 2011, Matur wrote a long poem called “İnfinity Watchman” for Reflection on Islamic Art, which was published by Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation. Her book How Abraham Abandoned Me (2012) became the ‘Recommended Translation for Spring 2012’ by the Poetry Book Society, founded by T.S. Eliot.

Since 2005, Matur has worked as a journalist, regularly publishing articles and op-ed pieces about Kurdish politics, Armenian news and culture, prison literature and women’s issues. Matur is the founder and a former director of DKSV (Diyarbakır Cultural Art Foundation) and has worked with displaced children and women. She currently lives in London and Istanbul.