thesilkroadtoday
“Five O’Clock Tea with Nurduran Duman: Freshly Brewed” launches a new monthly cultural and artistic series with Cuban and Honduran poets
A new chapter of literary and cultural exchange is set to unfold at Museo Moda in Istanbul with the launch of *“Five O’Clock Tea with Nurduran Duman: Freshly Brewed”* (Nurduran Duman ile Beş Çayı: Dumanı Üstünde), a monthly gathering bringing together poetry, art, conversation and international friendship.
The inaugural event, entitled **“First Brew: Letting Time Steep”** (*İlk Dem: Demle(n)mek*), welcomes two distinguished Latin American poets, Cuban poet Víctor Rodríguez Núñez and Honduran poet Rolando Kattan. They will join Turkish poet, playwright and cultural journalist Nurduran Duman, whose four-year literary initiative, *Şiir Suare*, has provided a platform for bringing poetry closer to readers through direct encounters with poets.
The opening gathering draws its inspiration from the warmth of afternoon tea and, more profoundly, from a genuine literary friendship that has matured over the years. The paths of Nurduran Duman, Víctor Rodríguez Núñez and Rolando Kattan first crossed in France in 2016. Since then, their relationship has developed through encounters in different parts of the world, shared creative experiences, translations and literary collaborations. Their reunion in Istanbul celebrates not only poetry but also the enduring bonds that literature creates across geographical, linguistic and cultural boundaries.
Three distinguished voices, three cultural landscapes
Víctor Rodríguez Núñez, the Cuban poet, journalist, literary critic and translator, is widely regarded as one of the most influential living voices in contemporary Spanish-language poetry. A retired professor of literature at Kenyon College in the United States, he has published more than fifty books, with his work translated into over twenty languages. His numerous distinctions include the Loewe Foundation International Poetry Prize, the Alfons el Magnànim Award and the Manuel Alcántara Poetry Prize. His literary career reflects a remarkable engagement with contemporary poetry and its international dimensions.
His fellow guest, Rolando Kattan, is a prominent Honduran poet, publisher and cultural figure whose contribution extends well beyond literature. Recognised as a pioneer in preserving and shaping his country’s cultural memory, Kattan has been involved in artistic and historical heritage projects through institutions including the National Identity Museum in Tegucigalpa.
His commitment to making literature accessible has also translated into remarkable cultural initiatives. Through publishing houses he established and reading campaigns he promoted, more than one million books have been distributed free of charge to the public, contributing to an extraordinary expansion of reading culture in Honduras. A member of the Royal Spanish Academy and the Honduran Academy of Language, Kattan has received the Casa de América Poetry Prize and the Ramón Rosa National Literature Award, the highest literary distinction in his country.
From Havana and Tegucigalpa to Istanbul: Poetry without borders
One of the central attractions of the gathering is its intimate format, designed to remove the distance between poets and their readers. Rather than encountering poetry solely through the printed page, participants will have the opportunity to hear the writers perform their own works, allowing the original voices and rhythms of their poetry to resonate directly.
Verses travelling from Havana, Tegucigalpa and Istanbul will meet in a shared literary space, transforming an afternoon tea gathering into an occasion for cultural dialogue and artistic discovery.
Beyond the literary programme, the event celebrates the joy of living, the generosity of friendship and the possibilities of international cooperation through poetry and the arts. Its title, with its reference to freshly brewed tea, also suggests a metaphor for relationships and creative experiences that acquire greater depth and richness with time.
With this first gathering, Museo Moda opens its doors to a monthly cultural and artistic series that promises to create meaningful encounters between writers, artists and audiences, while strengthening the connections between Istanbul and the wider international literary community.
Event and Registration
The inaugural meeting of *“Five O’Clock Tea with Nurduran Duman: Freshly Brewed”* will take place at Museo Moda, Istanbul. Refreshments are included, and attendance is limited. Advance registration is therefore required.
**Registration:** Direct message (DM) or telephone: +90 532 464 95 96.
