Nevfel Cumart

For English readers

For English readers

“Cumart’s numerous love poems, which treat longing and passion in beautifully simple language, cast their spell upon the reader.”

– Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung

“After suffering the inner discord of standing between two cultures, Nevfel Cumart has drawn confidence from the newly won conviction that both cultures can constitute an enrichment. It is from both cultures that he derives his individual style: the synthesis of Turkish traditions and German modernity.”

– die tageszeitung

“Cumart writes mainly in German, but can also express himself in Turkish and incorporate the vivid imagery of Oriental tales into his love poetry.”

– Süddeutsche Zeitung

“The writer Nevfel Cumart has found his own mode of expression. It is simultaneously alien to and intimate with the indifference of urban Europe as well as the ‘thousand cries of death’ in Turkey.”

– Frankfurter Rundschau

“Cumart’s poems are profoundly human and impress us by their deeply felt compassion. They can be read as a commentary on his biography and contemporary history, but also as an enduring contribution towards international understanding.”

– Fränkischer Tag

“Due to hundreds of poetry readings, creative writing workshops and lectures (on the subject of Islam, Turkey and migration) in Germany and abroad, Nevfel Cumart has become one of the most distinguished and sought-after performers in the German-speaking world.”

– Lexikon der deutschsprachigen Gegenwartsliteratur

“It can be said that Cumart won over his audience by dint of hard work. Untiring in his efforts, he tours Germany, reads from his poetry in schools and community-based educational projects, adult evening classes and universities. His publishing house sells thousands of his volumes every year in print runs that are certainly untypically high for poetry. In addition to this he is inundated with letters from school-goers and students who are writing essays and dissertations about his poetry because they feel that these poems equally address their intellect and emotions. To be able to express feelings without becoming trivial – surely that is an art that can only be called timeless.”

– Prof. Stefan Neuhaus, Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck

Nevfel Cumart’s life

Download Nevfel Cumart’s English biography here (PDF)

Nevfel Cumart’s work

School Activities

Nevfel Cumart has been organising events at schools for all abilities and most age groups since 1984, attaching much importance to engaging with the students and sparking lively discussions on topics close to his heart. Not only does he perform literary readings based on his own work as a poet, but he also designs events that address various topics such as the life situation and problems faced by foreigners living in Germany (»Zu Hause in der Fremde«, “At home abroad”), Islamic religion and culture (»Zwischen McDonald’s und Minarett«, “Between McDonald’s and Minarets”), as well as life and society in Turkey (»Vom Bosporus bis zum Ararat«, “From Bosporus to Ararat”).

His main objective is to introduce young people to different cultures and to enhance tolerance and understanding towards foreigners. All of Nevfel Cumart’s events are individually tailored to the age group in question and are suitable for all school types starting from Year 5.

Creative Writing Workshops

Nevfel Cumart has been organising creative writing workshops for adolescents and adults since 1990.

They take place at youth centres, universities, houses of literature, adult education centres, academies, and, in particular, schools.

Nevfel Cumart designs these workshops flexibly, tuning them to the participants’ age and ability. Following the organiser’s requirements, the writing workshops may differ in length. (Almost) anything is possible from a two-hour introductory course to a workshop that extends over several days. Nevfel Cumart’s writing workshops are suitable for school children and adolescents (from Year 5) and adults.

Readings

Being a German poet of Turkish origin, Nevfel Cumart proves his flair for lyrical subjects across countries and borders with every new book. He spans a lyrical arc between the Orient and the Occident, from the barren fields of Anatolia, home of his ancestors, to the offices of the German authorities where he has had many an eye-opening encounter.

Numerous literature awards confirm that Nevfel Cumart has found his place in German literature as a poet with an individual style and a unique poetic language that hovers between Turkish tradition and German modernity. His readings cover a wide literary spectrum, with biographical texts, sensitive love poems and classical travel poetry featuring alongside socio-political poems and humorous snapshots of a life between cultures. Nevfel Cumart likewise talks about his multifaceted life as a second-generation migrant in Germany.

Forever crossing literary and cultural boundaries, Nevfel Cumart is one of the few German-language poets to appeal for more tolerance with such virtuosity.

Lectures and Seminars

In addition to his literary work, Nevfel Cumart is also in high demand as a speaker. Since 1990, he has been giving lectures, conducting seminars and carrying out training courses throughout the country. These take place at universities, youth centres, academies, adult education centres, church education establishments, foundations, schools, pedagogical institutes, and various other institutions. His programme focuses on three main areas:

ISLAM – TURKEY – MIGRATION

Moreover, he offers numerous presentations on topics such as “Insights into Arabic Literature” and “Intercultural Competence at Schools”. As a scholar of Islamic and Turkish studies, he has lectured at the universities of Bamberg, Innsbruck and Regensburg. His reading and lecturing tours have repeatedly taken him abroad.

Materials

“On Nevfel Cumart” by Eoin Bourke, Professor of German Studies at National University of Ireland, Galway