Bursa Metropolitan Municipality is organizing the Bursa International Literature Festival with the theme of "Beginnings" between December 5-8. Speaking at the opening program, Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Bozbey stated that they will open Author Houses similar to the ones they opened in Gölyazı and Misi years ago in other districts, and said, "Bursa will always be the city of literature, art and culture."
Bursa Metropolitan Municipality is organizing another important event in Bursa, where history and culture blend and dreams take shape. The Bursa International Literature Festival, organized between December 5-8 with the theme of "Beginnings", brings together many world-renowned writers in the city. From Rachel van Kooij to Şebnem İşigüzel, Marek Sindelka to Gaye Boralıoğlu, 17 important local and foreign writers will meet with the people of Bursa for 3 days to tell the stories that touch their lives and the worlds behind their works. As part of the festival, workshops will be organized for young writer candidates and children, enabling them to discover the power of dreaming and writing.
Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Bozbey, Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Secretary General Mehmet Emin Direkçi, Cultural and Social Affairs Department Head Şafak Baba Pala, Bursa Metropolitan Municipality City Theatre General Art Director Ali Düşenkalkar, department heads, branch managers and literature lovers attended the opening program of the festival held at Merinos Atatürk Congress and Culture Center.
“Literature lives in every corner of Bursa”
Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Bozbey said that they will all feel the unifying power of culture, art and literature in Bursa. Stating that Bursa is also a city of literature with its deep cultural heritage, Mayor Bozbey said that in Bursa, words smell of history, colors come to life in the poet's lines, and the spirit of Bursa comes to life in the writer's lines. Stating that great masters such as Orhan Kemal, Reşat Nuri Güntekin, Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar and Nazım Hikmet were inspired by these lands and wrote their works in this ancient city, Mayor Bozbey said, “Literature lives in every corner of our Bursa. We see the Irgandı Bridge and Cumalıkızık with different meanings. Poets take the spirit of history as inspiration while walking on our streets. For this reason, Bursa is not only a city of literature of the past but also of the future. This year, the Bursa International Literature Festival has a very important theme. 'Beginnings'. Every story, every journey has a beginning. So does the life of each of us. "That first step ignites the spark of dreams within us. Every new beginning takes us one step further. That's exactly why we're offering literature lovers in Bursa a start to get inspired by this power of literature," he said.
“We plan to open Authorhouses in other districts as well”
Mayor Bozbey, who said that literature is a bridge that goes beyond time and space and touches the human heart, explained that this bridge brings different cultures together and brings people closer to each other. Stating that they aim to bring people together through literature with the festival, Mayor Bozbey said, “We want to bring Bursa to the international literary scene with this important festival. As Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, we plan to open similar Author Houses, which we opened in Gölyazı and Misi years ago, in other districts, especially in İznik. We want writers to write about those regions and their people. In this way, we want to support the promotion of both Bursa and the people of the region. We will host many valuable writers known worldwide at this festival. All of our writers who will participate in the festival will delve into the depths of their works and provide us with new perspectives.”
“We aim to gain a permanent place in Bursa's art calendar”
Stating that the festival will become a tradition in Bursa and will bring world literature to Bursa, Mayor Bozbey stated that the Bursa International Literature Festival will be the meeting point of ideas, emotions and dreams. Inviting all Bursa residents to delve into the depths of literature in every corner of the city for three days and discover new beginnings, Mayor Bozbey said, “Thanks to the main theme of our festival, ‘beginnings’, we will embark on every new journey that begins with literature together. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the realization of the festival. I hope that our festival will be filled with unforgettable moments. Bursa will always be the city of literature, art and culture. In the coming years, we aim for this festival to gain a permanent place in Bursa’s culture and art calendar and to become an address that brings together literature lovers from all over the world.”
Şafak Baba Pala, Head of the Department of Culture and Social Affairs, said that he was very happy to be a part of a new beginning. Pala stated that they will do a lot of work in the name of literature and art and wished the festival to be beneficial.
Writer Nermin Mollaoğlu expressed her great pleasure in supporting the Bursa International Literature Festival. Stating that they want literature festivals to spread throughout Turkey and for people to come together for literature, Mollaoğlu said that literature suits Bursa very well.
Following the speeches, Yücel Balku's essay titled 'The Doors of Koza' was read by the Metropolitan Municipality City Theatre General Art Director Ali Düşenkalkar.
