Nâzım Hikmet Ran was a Turkish poet, playwright, and novelist. He was recognized as the first and foremost modern Turkish poet, and regarded throughout the world as one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century for the "lyrical flow of his statements.” Described as a "romantic revolutionary," his humanistic views are universal.
His poetry has been translated into more than fifty languages. He received the World Peace Prize (the USSR's equivalent of the Nobel) in 1950. Although he faced many challenges in his life, he always remained optimistic about the future.
His poetry reflects his undiminishing hope for social justice, his love of life, and longing for his homeland.
The idea of a festival as a tribute to this preeminent poet emerged among friends in the NC Turkish community who appreciated his work and ideals of his life. As the excitement to organize such a festival grew with encouragement from the community, we started to favor an open event, which would draw on Nâzım Hikmet 's poetry and its ability to reach and influence other poets, and grow into a poetry festival that would feature not only Nâzım’s transcending work but also work from other local talents.
