Aydın Şimşek Reveals the Unknown Stories of Literature in Bornova

The February guest of the City Talks (Kent Söyleşileri) organized by Bornova Belediyesi was poet and writer Aydın Şimşek. The talk titled “Great Poets, Great Loves and the Unknown”, held at the Multi-Purpose Hall of Uğur Mumcu Kültür ve Sanat Merkezi, brought literature enthusiasts together.

From Nazım to Mayakovski, from Ahmed Arif to the present

During the talk, prominent figures of Turkish and world literature such as Nazım Hikmet, Vladimir Mayakovsky, and Ahmed Arif were discussed. Aydın Şimşek shared not only the works of these great poets but also their loves, disappointments, exiles, and often lesser-known aspects of their lives with the audience.

Emphasizing that poetry is not merely an aesthetic form of expression but also a form of resistance and existence, Şimşek explained with examples how the loves in the lives of great poets influenced their works. Participants experienced emotional moments through anecdotes and poetry excerpts shared during the talk.

A literary journey beginning with music

Before the talk, kanun virtuoso Namık Sağlam and guitarist Mehmet Kılınç took the stage and performed a short musical recital. Blending classical and contemporary melodies, the performance offered an elegant opening to the evening and prepared the audience for a literary journey.

The program was moderated by İbrahim Aktaş, whose questions deepened the discussion while encouraging active participation from the audience.

Strong interest and long applause

The City Talks series, organized every month with different topics and guests, once again attracted significant interest. The hall was nearly full, and at the end of the program the audience applauded Aydın Şimşek for a long time.

The meeting titled “Great Poets, Great Loves and the Unknown” once again demonstrated that in Bornova, literature is not only something to be read but also a value to be shared and rediscovered together.