1902-1963
‘Blue Eyed Giant.’
The poet.
Millions of Nâzıms exist. And the more he is read, the more they multiply.
Everyone cherishes their own Nâzım inside themselves.
The story of his life is widely known, but can Nâzım fit within his own biography?
As a noble poet and a man of keenly felt emotions, he created a very intense and intimate poetic language.
His verses survive untarnished to this day.
He was a writer of great verses, who led a great life, yet he suffered a great deal.
He lived, loved and fought.
He never shirked from his responsibilities as an intellectual, or refrained from saying what he thought, or was led by anything other than the courage of his convictions.
He became a permanent guest of the Turkish prison system.
He nurtured his love for his fellow man while in prison, which also equipped him with the power to face down adversity. He coped with everything life threw at him, without fear.
He had a complicated relationship with freedom; was always in trouble.
Imprisonment took its toll, but not on his productivity.
The arc of his life gave him the stamina to endure hardship when he needed to.
He impacted countless lives not only with his writings but also through the example of his struggle and persistence.
He was born in Thessaloniki, but was denied the opportunity to die there; instead, he passed away in Moscow.
He was exiled by government decree in 1951.
He had to wait 58 years before being renationalised in 2009.
However, his body still lies in Moscow, far away from his homeland.
