Conversation Series “Dialogues” – Saša Stanišić: If the Widow Wants to Be Addressed, She Places the Watering Can on the Grave with the Spout Facing Forwad

Conversation Series “Dialogues”
Date: December 19, 6:00 p.m.
Venue: Orient-Institut Istanbul

A conversation series by Ayfer Tunç and Murat Gülsoy, organized in cooperation of the Nâzım Hikmet Culture and Arts Research Center at Boğaziçi University and the Orient-Institut Istanbul.

On Friday, December 19, at 6:00 p.m., Ayfer Tunç and Murat Gülsoy will discuss Saša Stanišić’s novel If the Widow Wants to Be Addressed, She Places the Watering Can on the Grave with the Spout Facing Forward (Luchterhand, 2025) at the Orient-Institut Istanbul as part of the “Dialogues” series.

The Bosnian-born German author Saša Stanišić tells a vivid, passionate and deeply layered story about life, fate, and the infinite possibilities that shape them — a novel that continues to linger in the reader’s mind for a long time. What if we had not made this one decision, but another? What if we had resisted expectations? And still, there remains the fear of having hesitated too long, of having been a coward or missed something important. How wonderful it would be if life had a kind of fitting room, allowing us to try on the future before committing to it…

Saša Stanišić takes us to places and into lives that allow to break away from familiar patterns and make unusual choices. He tells the stories of those who reach their goals by difficult paths, who sit down at life’s gambling table without hesitation, and who, when necessary, are willing to offer their loved ones a well-crafted, resonant lie.

Saša Stanišić’s great talent lies in his ability to give equal weight to the existential and the seemingly marginal, the socially and politically relevant and the private, all while telling these stories with his distinctive sense of humor.
(Jury of the Wilhelm Raabe Prize)

For years, Ayfer Tunç and Murat Gülsoy have been engaging in public conversations about world literature, unrestricted by language or historical period. The Orient-Institut Istanbul is pleased to make its auditorium available for this series.

More information on “Dialogues”:
https://nazimhikmetmerkezi.com/kategori/etkinlikler/diyaloglar-etkinlikler/

The event is free of charge and will be held in Turkish. Photo and video recordings will be taken during the event. By attending, you consent to their use on the OII website, in the newsletter and on social media. Registration is required.

Venue:
Orient-Institut Istanbul
Galip Dede Cad. 65, Şahkulu Mah., TR–34421 Istanbul
Tel: +90 212 293 60 67
oiist@oiist.org
www.oiist.org

Registration