EVENTS

I’ve had the chance to speak at events on literature, translation, science-fiction, and storytelling—both in Istanbul and beyond. I value the conversation that emerges in shared spaces, whether on stage or around a seminar table.

Please find below a selection of events I’ve joined as a speaker or panelist.

SPEAKER AT OKAN UNIVERSITY – 2025

Gave a talk to students of the Department of Translation Studies on the nuances of translating science fiction and fantasy. The session also touched on broader questions of purpose, work, and navigating life as a translator—offering reflections on balancing craft, curiosity, and care in the face of uncertainty.

GUEST LECTURER AT YEDİTEPE UNIVERSITY – 2025

Delivered an intensive 1.5-hour workshop to undergraduate students on editing art catalogue texts. The session covered practical strategies using Microsoft Word’s Track Changes feature, editorial decision-making in institutional publishing, and the finer points of clarity, consistency, and curatorial tone in exhibition writing.

GUEST LECTURER AT ISTANBUL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY – 2025

Invited by Ervin Sezgin and Kerem Arslanlı to speak at İstanbul Technical University’s OtherWorlds science fiction class. Focused on Neuromancer, artificial intelligence, and the emotional—rather than cognitive—responses we form around AI. The conversation explored fear, desire, and the uncanny, emphasizing the felt dimensions of machine sentience in speculative literature.

“SCIENCE FICTION IN ISTANBUL” AT MEŞHER – 2025

As part of the exhibition The Story Unfolds in Istanbul at Meşher, I joined Jülide Kayaş for a talk titled Science Fiction in Istanbul: Unexpected Transformations of a Megacity in Local and Global Narratives.

We explored how Istanbul has been imagined in science fiction across time and language—from early Turkish short story anthologies to Ian McDonald’s The Dervish House and William Gibson’s Neuromancer. The discussion focused on the city’s shifting representations in speculative fiction—what remains, what changes, and why Istanbul continues to be reimagined through futuristic lenses.

GUEST TALK AT YEDİTEPE UNIVERSITY – 2024

I was invited by the Department of Translation and Interpreting Studies at Yeditepe University for a conversation on the craft of translation, editing, and literary practice.

We explored what it means to move between languages—not just in words, but in tone, rhythm, and cultural texture. The session touched on long-form translation work, editorial challenges, and how creative and professional writing intersect in the life of a translator.

TALK AT METUCON – 2024

I was invited to speak at METUCON with a talk titled “Writing While Translating, Translating While Writing: War of the Worlds.”

We discussed the interplay between translation and authorship—how the two disciplines inform, challenge, and reshape each other. I also shared reflections on my latest book IDÜK, along with other works that now live on readers’ shelves and in library stacks.

It was a pleasure to be part of METUCON’s vibrant literary program.

TALK AT NESIN VILLAGE – FLUTV: OLMAZ ÖYLE SAÇMA KAMP! – 2023

I was a guest speaker at OLMAZ ÖYLE SAÇMA KAMP!, a summer program held at Nesin Village and organized by FluTV.

The camp brought together researchers and academics from across disciplines—art, philosophy, literature, architecture, and film—for a series of free-flowing, unscripted conversations. In my session, I spoke about the path that led me away from law school and toward a life in literature—how I found my way into translation, writing, and editing, one choice at a time.

It was a thoughtful, playful gathering in the Aegean hills. Details below.

OPENING TALK AT 2. BERKOL DOĞAN BİLİMKURGU GÜNLERİ – 2023

I had the pleasure of participating in the opening talk at the 2nd Berkol Doğan Science Fiction Days, hosted by the Özgen Berkol Doğan Science Fiction Library.

The panel, titled “Recreating the Created: Translation in Science Fiction”, brought together voices from across the literary and translation fields. Alongside Özlem Özarpacı, Müfit Özdeş, and Cem Şensoy, we explored how science fiction changes—sometimes radically—in translation, and what it means to rebuild imagined worlds in another language.

Moderated by Jülide Kayaş, the conversation ran deep.

TALK AT SIMURG – 2022

I was invited by the Simurg Association as the guest of their April “Simurg Conversation Hour (3S).”

At Postane in Beyoğlu, I gave a talk titled “Is Fiction the Wolf or the Lamb of Fiction?”, centered around the themes of storytelling, authorship, and my novel Tepemizdeki Gölge (The Shadow Above Us).

It was a lively evening of questions, reflections, and shared curiosity.

A TALK ON FRANKENSTEIN AT YKY KÜLTÜR – 2022

As part of the release of a new edition by Yapı Kredi Publications, I joined İshak Reyna for a conversation on Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, which I translated into Turkish.

Far more than a horror classic, Mary Shelley’s novel has, for over two centuries, shaped how we think about life, death, science, and the natural world. In our talk, we explored the book from multiple angles: the myth of Prometheus, the infamous night that sparked the story, the echoes of Shelley’s own life within the novel, its various editions and translations, and the vast creative legacy it inspired across film and art.