Mirey NASİ

Sometimes the best stories emerge in unexpected moments. We met with the Dutch artist Koenraad Marinus Van Lier in Burgazada´s unique atmosphere, purely by coincidence. This encounter led me to an extraordinary creative journey; from a very meticulously organized art studio located in the heart of the island to the island itself. The result is this delightful conversation, where we discussed how waste materials and stones come together to transform into works of art that both embody the island´s spirit and open a door to Koenraad´s inspiring world.

Our guest this week is someone more people should get to know: Esra Akkaya. She is a young scholar who works with texts in Ladino, English, French, and Turkish, using them to explore Sephardic culture, history, and literary heritage. We spoke with Akkaya, who is currently a Landecker Lecturer at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany, about Turkish-Sephardic Jewish literature, the stories she traces through archival research, and the ways literature carries and preserves memory.