This year 2024 PEN TÜRKİYE POETRY AWARD is granted to Turkish poet Enis Batur for his poetry, for his cultural and literary activity and effectiveness. We are happy to share his statement on receiving the award.
“Traditionally a poet who is deemed worthy of a PEN Türkiye Poetry Award is expected to use the occasion to make a statement. I stop to think: Considering the state of the country, or indeed the state of the world for that matter, is there anything left for a poet to say? It’s no secret: I’m a pessimist, an unadulterated one in these circumstances. But this does not deter me from looking after my work scrupulously and tenaciously.
For years I’ve repeatedly expressed my commitment and unwavering determination to attend to my own work, following in this The Little Prince’s timeless wisdom: “You are responsible for your rose.” In pursuit of poetry, I tread a twofold path: on the one hand I engage with the verse of others, be they old or new, local or foreign --- reflecting, writing, and striving to throw light on those whohave been forgotten. On the other, I choose to stay utterly alert to subtle adjustments while crafting a poem in my constellation; and I choose to continue writing in “pure undiluted ink,” at the risk of being read less widely.
Currently we are passing through a period in which there appears to be little need for poetry. When such a need, so-called, is believed to appear, the poet is expected to rally the crowd and make a lot of noise. But the right response in my view is to come up with the unexpected.
Do I mean to imply that the poet's endeavors are currently in vain? No: Poetry elevates the thoughtful, the scholarly, the creative individual and, above all, the ardent reader, taking them higher in Life. It will thus guard its meaning and preserve its value in the face of threats from outside — by being read, memorized, translated, and set to music.
I am greatly honored to receive the PEN Türkiye Poetry Award, which comes like a burst of sunlight amid somber clouds.My sincere thanks to those who considered me worthy of it. “ Enis Batur
The Day of Poetry 21 March…
This year 2024 PEN TÜRKİYE POETRY AWARD is granted to Turkish poet Enis Batur for his poetry, for his cultural and literary activity and effectiveness. We are happy to share his statement on receiving the award.
“Traditionally a poet who is deemed worthy of a PEN Türkiye Poetry Award is expected to use the occasion to make a statement. I stop to think: Considering the state of the country, or indeed the state of the world for that matter, is there anything left for a poet to say? It’s no secret: I’m a pessimist, an unadulterated one in these circumstances. But this does not deter me from looking after my work scrupulously and tenaciously.
For years I’ve repeatedly expressed my commitment and unwavering determination to attend to my own work, following in this The Little Prince’s timeless wisdom: “You are responsible for your rose.” In pursuit of poetry, I tread a twofold path: on the one hand I engage with the verse of others, be they old or new, local or foreign --- reflecting, writing, and striving to throw light on those who have been forgotten. On the other, I choose to stay utterly alert to subtle adjustments while crafting a poem in my constellation; and I choose to continue writing in “pure undiluted ink,” at the risk of being read less widely.
Currently we are passing through a period in which there appears to be little need for poetry. When such a need, so-called, is believed to appear, the poet is expected to rally the crowd and make a lot of noise. But the right response in my view is to come up with the unexpected.
Do I mean to imply that the poet's endeavors are currently in vain? No: Poetry elevates the thoughtful, the scholarly, the creative individual and, above all, the ardent reader, taking them higher in Life. It will thus guard its meaning and preserve its value in the face of threats from outside — by being read, memorized, translated, and set to music.
I am greatly honored to receive the PEN Türkiye Poetry Award, which comes like a burst of sunlight amid somber clouds. My sincere thanks to those who considered me worthy of it. “ Enis Batur