Books from Türkiye

On a hot night in Adana, southern Turkey, a gathering of friends is interrupted when police storm into a private home and arrest those suspected of opposing the government. Among them is Oya, a journalist recently released from prison and forced into exile for her left-wing political beliefs. As the detainees are interrogated, their stories unfold, revealing the fear, compromises, and quiet acts of resistance that define life under military repression. Through the experiences of workers, intellectuals, women, and even the officials enforcing the law, Sevgi Soysal exposes a society where power can turn ordinary people into both victims and perpetrators. Yet darkness does not extinguish every possibility of solidarity. With sharp humour and an unsentimental eye, Soysal explores how people preserve their dignity when their freedom is threatened. Inspired by her own experience of political imprisonment, Dawn is a powerful portrait of resistance, gender inequality, and the fragile hope that survives even in the most oppressive circumstances.