By Anand Holla


Regarded among the most prolific contemporary Turkish writers, Iskender Pala is all set to enthral Doha as he will lead a literary majlis at the Museum of Islamic Art on April 28.
As part of the Qatar Turkey 2015 Year of Culture, in collaboration with Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation, Pala will read an excerpt of his work and will lead a discussion “about the mutually reinforcing relationship between history and literature.”
Hailed as “The People’s Poet” in Usak, his native city in Turkey, Pala will elaborate on “the significance of historical narratives in identity construction along with the responsibilities of non-fiction novelists in their contribution to society’s historical memory.”
Born in Usak in 1958, Pala studied at Cumhuriyet Primary School and Kütahya High School, and graduated from the Literature Department in the Faculty of Letters at Istanbul University in 1979. Between 1979 and 1982, Pala taught in the Turcology Institute at Istanbul University. He then completed his doctoral degree at Istanbul University in 1983.
Kicking off his academic career at the intercollegiate committee of YÖK and Bosphorus University (1986-1987), Pala also gave lectures on Divan (Ottoman) Literature in the US as an Associate Professor in 1993. Between 1987 and 1994, he served as a senior lieutenant in the Turkish Marine and worked for establishing the Marine History archives. Pala received Writers Union of Turkey Award in 1989 – his first of many top honours that would come his way.
He also edited translations and research books on Ottoman Marine History in 1994-1996. Between 1996 and 1997, Pala gave lectures on Ottoman Literature at Mimar Sinan University and worked for the Islamic Research Center. He received the title of Professor at Istanbul Culture University in 1998.
He has written acclaimed and popular books such as Efsane (Legend)-A “Barbaros” Novel (2013); OD (Flame)–A Yunus Novel (2011); Şah ve Sultan (Shah and Sultan) (2010); Katre-i Matem (Grief Drop) (2010); and Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Divan (Ottoman) Poetry (1989).
Pala has been known as much for his insightful lectures and TV programmes as for his journals and columns on art, culture and literature in Zaman newspaper, or his transcribing of texts, stories and narratives of Divan Literature transcribed in common language in literary magazines. Currently, Pala teaches at Usak University.
Although Pala will talk in Turkish, it will be translated into other languages. The entry to the event is free.