Stevens Institute | Turkish & Middle Eastern Studies

DEVELOPMENTS IN THE TURKISH NOVEL BETWEEN 1970-80

Three Lectures by: Adalet AGAOGLU
Introduction by: Professor Sibel Erol

May 4, 5, and 7, 2005

New Jersey, New York City, and Toronto

Light Millennium is proud to host a series of lectures with the preeminent Turkish author, Adalet Agaoglu, for the 5th Anniversary Celebrations of Light Millennium.

Information on the three lectures follows:

4 May, 2005, Wednesday
Time: 7:30pm
Venue: 228 Kidde Building (Kidde auditorium)
Stevens Institute of Technology
Hoboken, New Jersey
For location information: call (201) 216-5399 or Click Here >>
Prior to this talk, beginning at 5:00pm at the same venue, there will be a panel session titled: Cultural Diversity, Removing Prejudice & Fostering Global Connectivity, organized by Light Millennium & Stevens Institute of Technology.

There will be a reception immediately following the panel and before Adalet Agaoglu's lecture.
5 May, 2005, Thursday
Time: 7:30pm
Venue: Schermerhorn Auditorium, Room 501
Columbia University, New York City
7 May, 2005, Saturday
Time: 4:00pm to 7:00pm
Venue: Toronto University, Toronto, Canada

All lectures are open to the public -- donations will be appreciated.

Abstract

In her presentation, Adalet Agaoglu will talk about developments in the Turkish novel between 1970-'80, and delineate postmodern and pre-postmodern connections in her novels, namely in the Summer's End and her trilogy titled The Narrow Times (Lying Down to Die/ A Wedding Night / No...) She will review the new trends in the Turkish novel and will point out where her novels stand vis-a-vis these developments.

Through these lectures, we aim to bring Adalet Agaoglu, a leading Turkish author, together with her readers, students of Turkish literature and academics of Turkish studies and to make her valuable insights and thoughts available to greater audiences in the U.S. and in Toronto, Canada. We believe that, these lectures will illuminate Adalet Agaoglu's important place in Turkish literature and help those interested in expanding their knowledge of Turkey and Turkish literature.

The presentations will be both in English and Turkish. Mrs. Agaoglu's presentation will be distributed in English prior to the event. The introduction and the session of Questions and Answers will be held in English, directed by Prof. Sibel Erol.

About Adalet Agaoglu

She was born in Nallihan, a small town near Ankara (Turkey) in 1929. Adalet Agaoglu is a playwright, novelist and short story writer. She also writes essays.

Agaoglu studied French literature at Ankara University and joined the radio drama department of Turkish Radio TV Corporation. During the fifties, sixties and seventies, she achieved prominence as a playwright, writing for various theaters, especially for the State Theater during its heyday. In the early seventies, she began writing novels. The first one, Lying Down to Die (1973), was heralded as a different kind of novel than the classical Turkish novel. Agaoglu's first short story book, High Tension (1975) won the Story Award of the year. Her novel, A Wedding Night (1979) won all the main novel awards of the year 1979-80. Since then, she has established herself as one of Turkey's leading writers. Agaoglu firmly rejects the label of female or feminist writer, preferring to be known as an author. "I'm a socialist and deeply interested in aesthetic and artistic investigation of arts and literature," she says. "I feel quite satisfied while I am prodding the taboos in morals or in forms."

One of her novels is published in Germany under the title: Die Zarte Rose Meiner Sehnsuch, Stuttgard: Ararat Verlag, 1979, (Original title: Fikrimin Ince Gülü, 1975). Another novel of hers Curfew (Original title: Üç Bes Kisi was published in the U.S.A. (1997). For her latest novel ROMANTIC / A Viennese Summer (1993) was selected as the best among the 105 novels which were published or written during a five year period between 1992-1997. Before this prize, in December 1995, Agaoglu received the Turkish Presidential Award of Merit for her services to art and culture. She also received the following titles: Hon. Ph.D. by the University Anatolia, Eskisehir, Turkey; Hon. Ph.D. by the OSU (Ohio State University) Humane Letters, U.S.A.1998.

She has translated into Turkish some French and English plays for the stage.

Adalet Agaoglu lives in Istanbul. She is married. She has no children.

-- On Adalet Agaoglu, by Prof. Sibel Erol
http://www.lightmillennium.org/2005_15th/aagaoglu_serol.html

For photo of Adalet Agaoglu or more information about the lectures:
	E-mail:	contact@lightmillennium.org
	Web site:	http://www.lightmillennium.org/
	Phone:	1-718-441-8811

Co-Producers on behalf of the Light Millennium:
	Figen Bingü, Prof. Edward Foster, Erhan Berber, Bircan Ünver

The three lectures are organized by: The Light Millennium, Inc. In collaboration with: Principally, Turkish & Middle Eastern Studies at the Stevens Institute of Technology; Ankara Library of Toronto, Inc. and Columbia University.