WHEN POETRY BECOMES SISTERHOOD: REFLECTIONS FROM FEMINİSTANBUL WOMEN’S POETRY FESTIVAL 2025

By Vo Thi Nhu Mai

(Poet, The Founder & Leader of the Rhythm of Vietnam)
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Istanbul has always been a city of meeting points but from 21 to 23 November 2025, it became something even more extraordinary: a crossroads where women’s voices from around the world rose, intertwined, and strengthened one another. As a Vietnamese-born poet who has made a home in Australia, I felt myself carried by this surge of global sisterhood the moment I stepped into the 8th International FeminİSTANBUL Women’s Poetry Festival.

The question shaping this year’s gathering was sharp and unsettling: “After the massacre in Gaza, can we still speak of civilization and humanity?” It hung in the air like a shared heartbeat. Poets came from every direction: China, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Russia, the United States, Peru, Cuba, Bolivia, Iran, Arab nations, Europe, Malaysia, India, and many others. They arrived in their colours, their languages, their histories, and their grief. What they brought was not only poetry; it was testimony. And each testimony carried the weight of women living, resisting, and dreaming under the pressure of the world’s wounds.

From the opening ceremony at Kartal Soğanlık Cultural Center, I knew I was witnessing something rare. Traditional garments shimmered under the lights, the stage filled with tones and textures from every continent. Even before the first poem was read, the room felt alive with recognition, women acknowledging each other through culture, through struggle, through art.

And at the heart of it all was a woman whose presence anchored the entire festival: Op. Dr. Hilal Karahan. A surgeon, poet, translator, mother, scholar, and indefatigable advocate for women’s voices, she stands as one of the most compelling figures I have met. Since founding the festival in 2016, she has sustained it entirely through dedication and voluntary work, ensuring it remains the world’s only poetry festival devoted to celebrating womanhood itself. Her leadership this year, firm, compassionate, intellectually fearless, guided every panel and performance. Her manifesto, resonating with justice, human dignity, and global consciousness, became the festival’s compass.

The second day unfolded at Yeditepe University, where poets shared their work before entering a profound discussion on “Women’s Movements in Turkish and Iranian Poetry.” Under Dr. Karahan’s moderation, the conversation flowed effortlessly between scholarship and lived experience. Music filled the hall between readings, creating a rhythm that felt both ancient and new.

When it was my turn to step onto the stage as a Vietnamese–Australian poet, I carried with me stories of women who cross borders, women who rebuild, women who endure. Reading these poems in such a space surrounded by poets whose realities were vastly different yet deeply connected, was one of the most humbling moments of my artistic life.

The festival also honoured Betül Mardin, a towering figure in Turkish public relations, with the 2025 FeminİSTANBUL Honor Award. Her legacy, combined with the festival’s message, added yet another dimension of meaning to the gathering.
But what stays with me is the collective energy that lived between us. The quiet moments after readings. The tears that slipped out unexpectedly. The shared laughter over coffee. The recognition that even in a fractured world, women continue to reach toward each other, to rebuild humanity piece by piece.

When the festival came to an end, I felt something shift inside me. I left with gratitude, admiration, and a renewed faith in what poetry can do: heal what is wounded, witness what is forgotten, and bring together what the world tries to break apart.

For making such a space possible, I owe my deepest respect to Op. Dr. Hilal Karahan, whose strength, vision, and boundless heart continue to give women around the world a platform to speak and to be heard. The 8th FeminISTANBUL Poetry Festival was made possible through the generous financial sponsorship of Kartal Municipality, whose support ensured that poets from around the world could gather and share their voices in such a meaningful space. I also gratefully acknowledge Ayça Erdura and Dilruba Nuray Erenler, the dedicated members of the festival’s organisation team, whose hard work shaped every detail of this unforgettable event. As the festival director and editor of the official anthology, Op. Dr. Hilal Karahan continues to inspire a global community with her leadership, vision, and unwavering commitment to women’s poetry. Thank you for this extraordinary experience. I truly hope we will meet again soon.

Being part of FeminİSTANBUL 2025 has been one of the greatest honours of my poetic journey.
Thank you, Istanbul.
Thank you, FeminİSTANBUL.
And thank you, Dr. Hilal Karahan
for giving the world a home where women’s voices rise like light. (Mai, O