Romantic Communist

The Life and Work of Nazim Hikmet

Timms Edward, Goksu Saime

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The work of the Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet has been widely translated, but this is the first full-length biography in any language, covering his whole career from his birth in 1902 as a member of a cosmopolitan Ottoman family to his death in exile in Moscow in 1963. Romantic Communist portrays a writer who combined political courage with artistic creativity, even under prison conditions. Using both personal testimonies and newly-discovered archival sources, it presents Nazim's career as a microcosm of modern politics, and he emerges as one of the more remarkable poets of the twentieth century.

About the Author

Edward Timms, who is Research Professor in History at the University of Sussex, has published a wide range of books on culture and politics.

Saime Goksu grew up in Turkey at a time when Nazim was in prison and his poems were banned, and was exposed to his poetry at an early age. Her husband and co-author Edward Timms, who is Research Professor in History at the University of Sussex, has published a wide range of books on culture and politics.

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