Literature and Opera

Join us for an evening where literature and opera come together through the iconic work Seviyye Talip by Halide Edip Adıvar.

This special program explores the English translation of Seviyye Talip, originally published in 1910 , offering a unique opportunity to engage with one of the pioneering voices of Turkish literature. Dr İclal Vanwesenbeeck, the translator of Seviyye Talip into English (2024, Texas UP), will be in conversation with Dr. Nefise Kahraman.

Bringing an artistic dimension to the evening, opera artist Beste Kalender will perform selected arias inspired by Turkish opera traditions, creating a dialogue between literature and music.

Through conversation and performance, the event invites participants to explore the intersection of literature, music, and cultural expression, while revisiting a landmark work of Turkish literary history.

📚 Book signing will take place at the end of the program.

📅 April 22, 2026
🕖 7:00 PM

📍 Yunus Emre Institute – Toronto
2 Berkeley St., Suite 210

🎟 Free admission – registration required

Dr. İclal Vanwesenbeeck is Professor of English at the State University of New York, Fredonia. Her research focuses on literature and music, as well as animal studies. She has published extensively on Ottoman literature, including works on Halide Edip Adıvar and Nigar Hanım, and is the translator of Seviyye Talip. Her recent research also includes Abdülhak Hamid Tarhan’s Sahra, alongside an ongoing project on pastoral traditions and animals.

Beste Kalender is a Turkish opera singer whose artistic journey began in Antalya and Istanbul. She trained at the State Conservatory and Boğaziçi University, and later pursued an international career, working with institutions such as Opera on the Avalon, Les Chorégies d’Orange, and the Music Academy of the West. She holds an Artist Diploma from The Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory and has performed with Calgary Opera. Her work is driven by a deep passion for connecting with audiences through music.

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Host or Publisher Toronto Yunus Emre Institute