Introduction

Abstract

Abstract The introduction to this book opens with a personal vignette from the author’s life in Istanbul in the 1990s, then segues into a brief discussion of Nâzım Hikmet’s continued importance as a cultural figure in Turkey. It outlines some of the most significant differences between this biography of Nâzım and previous ones, including the research undertaken for this book in Russia, Istanbul, Amsterdam, and Washington, DC. Another important difference relates to context, as this book does not treat Nâzım Hikmet’s life in isolation. Rather, it situates him within the broader story of his generation of late imperial “border-crossers,” i.e., individuals whose lives were significantly impacted by the cross-border experiences of their younger years. The introduction ends with a pledge to “breathe life” back into a literary and historical figure who, while the subject of much biographical attention, has usually been treated in one-dimensional terms.