Louise Bell’s novel The Final Summer of Vodka is a light-hearted romp through the alcohol fuelled nights and hangover daze of 30 year old single Brit Lei who lives in Marmaris, Turkey. Having already met, split from, got back together with, broken up with again The Turkish One (aka Mr Wrong) about a zillion times,…
I’m Lisa Morrow, writer, sociologist and author, but more importantly I’m someone who has a real passion for Turkey. I’ve lived in Istanbul and other parts of the country for more than 12 years and counting, after first travelling in Turkey in 1990. I was surprised to learn, after reading a comment on a social…
Perking the Pansies by Jack Scott tells the tale of Jack and Liam, a gay couple, who move from a thriving metropolis to a small Aegean town in Turkey, expecting to find a satisfying social whirl, albeit with better weather. Instead they face the dilemma of any expat – a small community which expects everyone to…
Born on the 15th of January 1902, in Salonica, where his father was serving as an Ottoman government official, Nazim Hikmet Ran, commonly known as Nazim Hikmet, was a Turkish poet, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, director and memoirist. Best known for his intellectual pursuits and considered a romantic communist and revolutionary, he was very active throughout…
In her introduction, Alev Scott states that Turkish Awakening is as much about her personal discovery of the land of her mother’s birth as it is an exploration of contemporary Turkish life and politics, and she is true to her word. She skilfully combines personal insights with an objective gaze to focus on a confusing…
After meeting the crazy inhabitants of Bodrum town and reading through to the last poignant moments in Turkey Street by Jack Scott, it was really hard to come to the end of this tale and return to normal life. Scott’s portrayal of his life with partner Liam had me longing to sit in the garden…
“A few months ago, Lisa Morrow, an experienced travel writer living in Istanbul, contacted me. She had just released a book about Turkish Culture and asked if she could send a copy, for a published review. I said yes and a week later, received a 162-page book via cargo. Since I am a fast reader,…
There are many good books about Turkey, and after reading most of them (and writing one or three of them), here are some I’d like to recommend (updated October 2021). Happy reading! * Reviews for items marked with an asterisk can be found on the Book Reviews page of this site. Memoirs Fiction Culture, Society…