8th International FeminİSTANBUL Women’s Poetry Festival to Take Place on 21–23 November 2025 in Istanbul
The 8th International FeminİSTANBUL Women’s Poetry Festival will be held in Istanbul from 21 to 23 November 2025, welcoming poets, academics, artists and readers from across the world. All events are free of charge and open to the public.
This year’s programme unfolds across two main venues: the Kartal Soğanlık Cultural Centre and Yeditepe University’s Faculty of Fine Arts Conference Hall.
A Festival Dedicated to Women’s Voices
Although the festival focuses on women’s experiences and women-centred poetry, organisers emphasise that it is not limited to a gender-exclusive or strictly feminist frame. Instead, it is a platform where women, men and LGBTQIA+ poets from different languages, religions, ethnicities and cultures come together to explore the many forms of womanhood, identity, struggle and creativity.
Founders and Organising Team
FeminİSTANBUL was originally founded by Hilal Karahan, Emel Koşar, and Dilruba Nuray Erenler. In 2019, poet Ayça Erdura joined the team, expanding the festival’s reach and international presence.
The 2025 organising committee consists of:
- Hilal Karahan
- Dilruba Nuray Erenler
- Ayça Erdura
Advisory Board:
- Zeynep Altıok Akatlı
- W. B. Bayrıl
- Haşim Hüsrevşahi
Technical and support team members include Hatice Kumalar, İsmail Cem Doğru, Kenan Bıyıklı, and Duru Beyhan.
Each year the festival hosts poets from countries such as China, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Russia, the United States, Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Iran, various Arab countries, major European countries, Malaysia and India. Many read their work in their own languages and traditional attire, emphasising the event’s multicultural character.
A Poet’s Note of Gratitude
Writer and poet Şükran Aydın, who first participated in 2023, reflects on the significance of meeting both local and international poets and highlights the power of women’s creativity in confronting global challenges. Aydın will again take part in the 2025 programme.
Festival Programme
21 November 2025 – Friday (18:00–22:00)
Venue: Kartal Soğanlık Cultural Centre
- Opening Ceremony
- Presentation of the Honor Award to Betül Mardin
- Poetry Readings by Turkish and international poets
- Poetry Theatre: “Carried by the Wind” by Malik Enes Gümüşlü
- Music Performance: Prof. Dr. Serdar Epözdemir & Özge Orhan
Participating poets include:
Aida Amidi (Iran), Ali Günvar, Androulla Shati (Cyprus), Arife Kalender, Ayça Erdura, Aydan Yalçın, Balázs Szőllőssy (Hungary), Christine Chen (China–New Zealand), Dilruba Nuray Erenler, Ekaterine Mekerishvili (Georgia), Haşim Hüsrevşahi, Hayat Shami (Azerbaijan), Hilal Karahan, İsmail Cem Doğru, Majida Dagher (Lebanon), Muhsine Arda, Roya Yaghoobi (Iran), Sabrina De Canio (Italy), Thi Nhu Mai Vo (Vietnam–Australia), Uranüs Musamem (Afghanistan), and many others.
22 November 2025 – Saturday (14:00–20:00)
Venue: Yeditepe University, GSF Conference Hall**
Panel Discussion:
“Women’s Movements in Turkish and Iranian Poetry”
Speakers: Prof. Dr. Haşim Hüsrevşahi, Arife Kalender, Bircan Çelik
Moderator: Op. Dr. Hilal Karahan
Music Performances:
- Mehmet & Gülsüm Karaman Ensemble
- Jazz Concert by Bossaphorus Group
Followed by extensive poetry readings by both Turkish and international poets.
23 November 2025 – Sunday (09:00–18:00)
- Guided visit to the 18th Istanbul Biennial – Zihni Han
- Historical Peninsula Cultural Tour
The 2024–2025 FeminİSTANBUL Women’s Poetry Anthology
The sixth volume of the festival’s anthology brings together 94 poets from Turkey and around the world. The 208-page edition focuses exclusively on poems addressing women’s issues.
Editor: Hilal Karahan
Translations: Hilal Karahan, Ayten Mutlu, Haşim Hüsrevşahi, Mehmet Hakkı Suçin, Muhsine Arda and others
Design: Kenan Bıyıklı
Published with the support of: Kartal Municipality (Istanbul, Türkiye)
Festival Partners and Supporters
Kartal Municipality – Official Sponsor
A major local government institution serving roughly 480,000 residents, known for its support of cultural, social and environmental initiatives.
World Poetry Movement (WPM)
A global coordination platform connecting over 2,000 poets from more than 150 countries, promoting poetry for peace, human rights and ecological responsibility.
BRICS Writers Association
A cultural network founded in 2025 in Brazil, linking authors and publishers across BRICS countries and supporting translation and literary exchange.
World Poetry Festival (WFP – affiliated with UNESCO)
A Mexico-based organisation hosting poetry events, workshops and festivals around the world, including Latin America.
Festival Director: Dr. Hilal Karahan
A distinguished Turkish poet, writer, translator, medical doctor and gynaecologist, Hilal Karahan has represented Turkey at numerous international literary events and earned multiple global poetry awards. She has published seven poetry books and many essays, translations and academic works.
Karahan is an active member of PEN Turkey, the Turkish Writers’ Union and the Language Association. She also serves as Intercontinental Director of the World Poetry Festival (WFP) and is part of the World Poetry Movement (WPM) and BRICS Writers Association. She has been organising the FeminİSTANBUL Women’s Poetry Festival since 2016.
Festival Manifesto (2025 Edition)
The 2025 manifesto questions the meaning of “civilisation” and “humanity” in the context of global violence, war, displacement and rising social inequalities. Referring to Adorno’s well-known statement—“To write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric”—the text asks:
“Can we still speak of civilisation after Gaza?”
The manifesto highlights:
- escalating wars from Ukraine to the Middle East
- increasing violence against women and children
- economic insecurity and social pressure on women
- new global anxieties, from climate crisis to artificial intelligence
Despite these challenges, the festival insists on poetry as a form of resistance, healing and solidarity—especially for women and children. FeminİSTANBUL positions itself as a unique community celebrating sisterhood and the transformative power of poetry.
2025 Honor Award: Betül Mardin
This year’s Honor Award is dedicated to Betül Mardin, widely recognised as the pioneer of public relations in Turkey. Born in 1927, she is a leading figure in Turkish communication studies, former president of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA), and a mentor to generations of communication professionals.
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FeminİSTANBUL Women’s Poetry Festival: A Global Platform Returns for Its 8th Edition
Recognized within international poetry networks affiliated with UNESCO, the FeminİSTANBUL Women’s Poetry Festival returns for its eighth edition on 21–23 November 2025, supported by the Municipality of Kartal. Guided by this year’s powerful manifesto—“After the massacre in Gaza, can we still speak of civilization and humanity?”—the festival continues to position itself as a global space for artistic expression, critical thought, and dialogue centered on women’s experiences.
A Festival Focused on Women’s Voices—Open to All
The festival’s coordinators emphasize that FeminİSTANBUL is not a gender-exclusive or narrowly feminist event, but rather a literary platform where themes of womanhood take center stage. Poets of every gender identity, language, religion, ethnicity, and nationality are invited to present work addressing the broad spectrum of women’s realities across the world.
International Poets Converge in Istanbul
This year’s organizing committee includes Hilal Karahan, Dilruba Nuray Erenler, and Ayça Erdura, with an advisory board composed of Zeynep Altıok Akatlı, W. B. Bayrıl, and Haşim Hüsrevşahi. The technical crew is formed by Hatice Kumalar, İsmail Cem Doğru, Kenan Bıyıklı, and Duru Beyhan.
Poets are expected from countries across several continents—including China, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Russia, the United States, Peru, Cuba, Chile, Bolivia, Iran, multiple Arab states, European countries, Malaysia, and India. Their performances will feature poetry in their native languages, often in cultural dress, highlighting the diversity and complexity of women’s struggles in different regions.
Manifesto 2025: Can We Still Speak of Civilization?
Festival director Dr. Hilal Karahan frames this year’s manifesto with a question inspired by Theodor Adorno’s well-known reflection on art after Auschwitz. She asks:
“After the massacre in Gaza, can we still speak of civilization and humanity?”
Karahan points to the images of starving infants, children killed or burned alive, civilians bombed while queuing for bread, and hospitals destroyed—events that undermine the very meaning of “civilization.” She notes that while the world witnesses the war in Ukraine, conflict continues to engulf Palestine, Yemen, Lebanon, Iran, and Syria.
At the same time, gender-based violence, femicides, psychological abuse, workplace discrimination, and the economic precarity of women continue to rise.
Since 2016, the festival has hosted international meetings and readings focusing on such issues. Karahan notes that each year, new global concerns join the conversation—climate crisis, digital addiction, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, genetically modified foods, economic instability, surveillance, transhumanism, and more.
Against this landscape, she emphasizes:
“Poetry heals life; it restores hope. FeminİSTANBUL is a festival that amplifies sisterhood, celebrates womanhood, and protects it.”
Opening Night: 21 November 2025
Kartal Soğanlık Cultural Center**
The festival opens on Friday, 21 November, with multilingual poetry readings, followed by the presentation of the 2025 FeminİSTANBUL Honorary Award to Betül Mardin, one of Turkey’s most influential figures in public relations. The evening also includes a poetry-theatre performance, “Carried by the Wind,” directed by Malik Enes Gümüşlü, and a musical program by Prof. Dr. Serdar Epözdemir and Özge Orhan.
Hosts: Dr. Hilal Karahan and Ayça Erdura.
Second Day: 22 November 2025
Yeditepe University, Faculty of Fine Arts Auditorium
International poets meet for a full day of readings in their own languages. A panel titled “The Women’s Movement in Turkish and Iranian Poetry” follows, featuring Prof. Dr. Haşim Hüsrevşahi, Arife Kalender, and Bircan Çelik, moderated by Dr. Karahan.
Live musical accompaniment is provided by Mehmet & Gülsüm Karaman Music Group, and the evening concludes with a jazz concert by Bossaphorus.
Hosts: Dilruba Nuray Erenler and Ayça Erdura.
Guest Poets of FeminİSTANBUL 2025
International Guests
Aida Amidi (Iran) • Androulla Shati (Cyprus) • Balázs Szőllőssy (Hungary) • Christine Chen (China–New Zealand) • Ekaterine Mekerishvili (Georgia) • Hayat Shami (Azerbaijan) • Majida Dagher (Lebanon) • Roya Yaghoobi (Iran) • Sabrina De Canio (Italy) • Thi Nhu Mai Vo (Vietnam–Australia) • Uranüs Musamem (Afghanistan)
Participating Poets from Turkey
Ali Günvar • Aliye Özlü • Arife Kalender • Ayça Erdura • Aydan Yalçın • Bircan Çelik • Burcu Türker • Burhanettin Kaya • Dilek Ermiş • Dilek İşcen Akışık • Dilruba Nuray Erenler • Elif Burcu Özkan • Ertuğrul Özüaydın • Ezgi Güneş • Figen Tan • Haşim Hüsrevşahi • Hilal Karahan • Hüseyin Alemdar • İkbal Kaynar • İsmail Cem Doğru • Kemal Aslan • Koray Feyiz • Malik Enes Gümüşlü • Mehmet Ata Yiğiz • Mualla Alpaydın • Muhsine Arda • Mustafa Köz • Niyazi Yaşar • Nuray Gök Aksamaz • Olcay Kasımoğlu • Oya Gündüz Aksu • Oya Uysal • Roj Yiğit • Seçil Hidayet • Serap Aslı Araklı • Sezai Sarıoğlu • Süreyya Akçay • Şaban Akbaba • Şükran Aydın • Volkan Hacıoğlu • Zeki Tombak
The 2024–2025 FeminİSTANBUL Anthology
Prepared with the support of Kartal Municipality and edited by Dr. Hilal Karahan, the anthology brings together poetry focused on women’s lives and challenges. The sixth book in this series features 94 poets from Turkey and abroad, spanning 208 pages.
The translation team includes:
Hilal Karahan, Ayten Mutlu, Haşim Hüsrevşahi, Mehmet Hakkı Suçin, Muhsine Arda, Eşref Yılmaz, Kadriye Cesur, Mesut Şenol.
Themes Through the Years
- 2016: The Female Language Against the Mother Tongue
- 2017: Boundaries of Salt – Refugee Issues
- 2018: Unity in Diversity
- 2019: Poetry Overcomes Violence
- 2020: Not held due to the pandemic
- 2021: At the Dawn of a Global Humanity
- 2022: Global Poetry Against Global Crisis
- 2023: Women and Poetry in the First Century of the Republic
- 2024: Not held due to economic crisis
- 2025: After the Massacre in Gaza, Can We Still Speak of Civilization?
FeminİSTANBUL Honorary Awards (Selected)
2016: Ayten Mutlu
2017: Fatima Nazzal (Palestine)
2018: Zeynep Altıok Akatlı
2019: Canan Kaftancıoğlu
2021: Arzu Çerkezoğlu
2022: Mücella Yapıcı, Çiğdem Mater, Mine Özerden
2023: İoanna Kuçuradi, Şeyma Alakuş
2025: Betül Mardin
Festival Sponsors
- Kartal Municipality (Official Sponsor)
- World Festival of Poetry (WFP) – UNESCO-affiliated
- World Poetry Movement (WPM)
- BRICS Writers Association
About the Festival Director: Dr. Hilal Karahan
Dr. Hilal Karahan is a Turkish poet, author, translator, and obstetrician-gynecologist. Active since the early 2000s, she has published seven poetry books along with numerous essays, translations, and international selections. Her work has been recognized by several international poetry awards, and she represents Turkey in global poetry festivals and networks.
She serves as:
- Intercontinental Director, World Festival of Poetry (WFP)
- Member, World Poetry Movement (WPM) and BRICS Writers Association – Turkey Chapter
- Turkey Ambassador, World Institute for Peace (WIP)
- Turkey Representative, International Council for Diplomacy and Justice (ICDJ)
As founder of the FeminİSTANBUL Women’s Poetry Festival, she has combined her medical perspective on women’s lives with literary expression since 2016. She recently completed a degree in philosophy and is preparing for graduate studies in the philosophy of language.
