Meltem Arıkan was born and grew up in Ankara, Turkey. Her first short stories and essays were published in various literary journals during 1992 – 1995. Her first novel, Ve… Veya… Belki… (And… Or… Maybe…) was published in 1999, followed by Evet… Ama… Sanki… (Yes… But… As If…) in 2000 and Kadin Bedenini Soyarsa (Undressing Herself) in 2002.
Her fourth novel Yeter Tenimi Acıtmayın (Stop Hurting My Flesh) which included women’s trauma stories of child abuse, harassment and incest had been banned in early 2004 by the Committee to Protect the Minors from Obscene Publications, a body established under the Turkish Prime Ministry, with the accusation of "Writing about the non-existing incest fact in Turkey, while using Turkish names for the characters, attempting to disturb the Turkish family order with a feminist approach." Following the legal procedures, the ban was lifted by the ‘1st Magistrate Criminal Court’ after two months, and the book was published once again without being subjected to any censorship. After this experience of censorship, Arıkan has been awarded with “Freedom of Idea and Statement Prize 2004” by the Turkish Publishers’ Association.
Her fifth novel Zaten Yoksunuz (You Exist In No Way) was published in 2005, followed by Umut Lanettir (Hope is a Curse) in 2006. After her first 6 novels, Arikan wrote the script for the play I’m Breaking the Game (Oyunu Bozuyorum) which premiered in August at the Zurich Theater Spectacle, and awarded the “New Unique Play” prize from VIII. Lions Theatrical Awards in 2007. She published a research book titled Beden Biliyor (The Body Knows) in 2008. In 2009 another play, Parallel, whose dramaturgy was by Arıkan, was staged as a part of the Linz 2009: European Capital of Culture program. Her last novel, Özlemin Beni Savuran (My Yearning That Sways Me) was published in June 2009.
Official Website: http://www.meltemarikan.com
poems from this novel
The mountain was a mountain at first
with its pine trees
its rivers and its birds
The mountain was a mountain at first
with its clouds and the sun upon
with its lightning and its rain
Then the mountain became a volcano
The energy that has been discharged
the rocks that have melted
made the mountain, a mountain no more
Rivers of rocks
clouds of rock dust
petrified birds and trees
the rock lightnings that reached the skies
Even though the mountain flows to the sea
when it gets cold
it’s still a mountain
New mountain
Old mountain…
* * *
Have you ever heard the sound of air?
not when there’s a wind,
through the rustling of the leaves
but in still air.
While gazing at the stars,
have you heard the sound of the void in between?
Have you ever found yourself staring
towards the mountains
From a distance
felt the spicy scent of the grass at your nose?
When you saw my hands
when my fingers were caressing your body
have you got thirsty?
Have you ever loved me?
* * *
Every state of the weather
the man loved
just like every state of the woman
The hot flesh
The cold eyes
The stormy face
Even though he sought after harbours
he loved every state of the weather
The streak of lightning
in the heavens
or within eyes…
* * *
The woman was searching for the plains at the mountains
She was asking the peeks of the mountains
about the rivers that irrigated the plains
where are they
By touching the rocks,
she wanted to eat the fruits of the trees
where are they
She was searching for the taste of the fruits she couldn’t eat
within the winds
where are they
She puts her head in to the clouds
seeking the rain
where are they
The wheat, figs, grapes,
or
Does wheat truly mean a wheat
the fig, truly a fig
the grape, truly a grape
the woman, truly a woman
* * *
If I were a fish
and you sitting on the docks
with your feet in the sea
and as the water ripples
if I were to pop my head out of the water
would you have recognised me
If I were a fish
in the blues
twisting my ass using my fins
and I passed you by
with my snow white belly
would you have recognised me
If I were a fish
and rubbed myself against your feet
looking up at you
with my fish eyes
would you have recognised me
And what if I were not a fish
and I was sitting beside you
while watching the sea together,
would you have recognised me
among the fishes…
Meltem Arıkan
© Translation by Pelin Ayter & Piraye Erdogan
Published with the permission of Meltem Arıkan