BAKEŞ publishes two new books exploring memory through poetry and stories
The Western Thrace Minority Culture and Education Company (BAKEŞ) has published two new books contributing to Western Thrace Turkish literature, bringing together poetry and short stories shaped by memory, personal experiences and the region’s social history.
The new titles are “Gökyüzüm Karma - Karışık”, a poetry collection by Sevkan Tahsinoğlu, and “14.30 Yolcu Treni”, a collection of 20 stories by Mücahit Mümin.
Both books explore different aspects of human experience while preserving memories and stories connected to Western Thrace Turkish society.
Sevkan Tahsinoğlu brings years of poetry together
“Gökyüzüm Karma - Karışık” brings together poems written by Tahsinoğlu throughout different periods of his life, from childhood to adulthood.
The collection addresses both personal emotions and broader social and human issues. For Tahsinoğlu, poetry serves not only as a form of literary expression but also as a way of sharing emotions, silences, pain, longing and hope.
The poems explore themes including love and separation, loneliness, childhood, family, homeland, freedom, peace, humanity and perseverance.
The title reflects the collection’s multilayered character, bringing together different periods, emotions and experiences from the poet’s life. The work therefore functions not only as a poetry collection but also as a literary record of the memories, thoughts and emotions accumulated over the years.
“14.30 Yolcu Treni” traces stories from Western Thrace
The second book, “14.30 Yolcu Treni,” brings together 20 stories drawn from Mücahit Mümin’s literary journey spanning the period from 1967 to the 1990s.
The stories contain strong traces of the lives of Western Thrace Turks, addressing themes such as love and separation, loneliness, poverty, migration, social pressures, traditions and human relationships.
Mümin focuses on the emotions and experiences hidden behind seemingly ordinary lives. His stories move from villages and coffeehouses to homes and everyday relationships, portraying both individual struggles and aspects of the collective memory of Western Thrace Turkish society.
Migration and collective memory
Migration is one of the prominent themes in “14.30 Yolcu Treni.” The pain of separation, displacement and loss is explored through stories reflecting experiences that have shaped the lives of Balkan Turkish communities.
The book consequently serves not only as a collection of stories about the past but also as a literary reflection on changing times and the people living through them.
Mümin’s stories bring voices from the past into the present while contributing to the preservation of memories and experiences that might otherwise fade from collective memory.
The author’s words, “We fly… what we write remains,” encapsulate the central idea behind the collection.
Two books, one focus on memory
Although the two works belong to different literary genres, both place people, memory and social experience at the center of their narratives.
“Gökyüzüm Karma - Karışık” explores the individual emotional world through poetry, while “14.30 Yolcu Treni” examines the memories and experiences of a community through stories.
With the publication of both works, BAKEŞ continues its contribution to the development and preservation of Western Thrace Turkish literature and cultural memory.
