Beyond the Walls

Nâzim Hikmet’s poetry combines passion and simplicity with sophistication, producing work of enduring significance. He was both a superb narrative and lyric poet; his immense and continuing popularity in Turkey testifies to his common touch. This extensive selection ranges from his epic poem ‘Sheikh Bedreddin’ to the moving prison poems addressed to his wife. The book is introduced by the leading expert on Turkish literature, Talât Sait Halman, former Professor of Turkish Literature at Princeton and New York Universities and currently at Bilkent University, Ankara.