Turkish-Kurdish duo pens bestselling novel though prison bars

DIYARBAKIR-AMED, Turkey’s Kurdish region,— In a remarkable display of literary collaboration, a jailed Kurdish leader and a Turkish author have turned their pen-pal correspondence into one of Turkey’s best-selling novels.

The crime thriller “Duet in Purgatory,” featuring a retired left-wing lawyer and a disillusioned, aging general with a complicated past, has captivated readers across the nation.

The unique partnership between the writers unfolded over an exchange of letters, never once discussing the storyline in advance. This innovative approach to storytelling has paid off handsomely, with the novel resonating deeply with readers.

Selahattin Demirtas, the imprisoned Kurdish leader, who is serving a 42-year sentence, discussed the unconventional writing process in an interview from prison. “We decided to write the novel like a game of chess, move by move, without agreeing on the plot, characters, or style—absolutely nothing,” he explained.

The collaboration began when author and translator Yigit Bener sent Demirtas a copy of Louis-Ferdinand Celine’s “Journey to the End of the Night,” including a note expressing his solidarity.

Demirtas, a former co-president of Turkey’s third-largest political party, was imprisoned in 2016. The European Court of Human Rights has since condemned his detention as political, calling for his release.

“I couldn’t accept that a man I voted for, along with six million others, was behind bars while I was free,” said Bener, who lived in exile during the 1980s. Admiring Demirtas’s collection of short stories, “Dawn,” Bener initiated a correspondence through Demirtas’s lawyer.

Following President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s re-election in May 2023, which dashed Demirtas’s hopes for early release, Bener proposed they write a novel together.

“How about we co-author a novel?” Bener suggested, initially viewing it as a way to keep Demirtas occupied. Despite having no plot or characters in mind, the idea quickly took shape, and the two soon completed 13 chapters.

The pair took turns writing, though Bener declined to specify who began the project. “We had a lot of fun, but eventually we had to finish,” he recounted. “We set it aside for two months before having a few friends review it.”

Demirtas’s publishing house, Dipnot, which has previously published his novels and short stories, initially printed 55,000 copies last month, with additional prints expected in September.

“Our personal experiences and trajectories significantly influenced the novel,” Demirtas noted. “Yigit provided the motivation I needed at critical moments.”

Bener believes the novel’s success lies in its timely relevance. “The book delves into the theme of reconciliation through the experiences of two characters from the same generation who both feel a profound sense of defeat,” Bener remarked. “This resonates strongly in today’s deeply polarized Turkey.”

The collaboration culminated in an emotional meeting between Bener and Demirtas at Edirne prison, northwest Turkey, on the day of the book’s release.

Demirtas, who is held in isolation and typically only allowed weekly visits from his lawyer or family, was exceptionally permitted to meet Bener.

He shares his cell with Adnan Selcuk Mizrakli, the former mayor of the Kurdish city of Diyarbakir (Amed) in Turkish Kurdistan (Bakur).

Critics have lauded the novel for its “funny, fast-paced, and spirited narrative,” with readers eager to meet Bener as he tours bookshops.

The partnership between Demirtas and Bener stands as a testament to the power of creativity and collaboration, transcending the walls of imprisonment and capturing the imagination of a nation.

(With files from AFP)