Semra Ertan: Mein Name ist Ausländer

In her poems, Semra Ertan describes her life and experiences in Germany. Born in Mersin/Turkey, she moved to Germany in 1972 to live with her parents, who were migrant workers in the Federal Republic of Germany. She died in Hamburg in 1982.

Ertan wrote over 350 poems and several satires. In 2020, her sister Zühal Bilir-Meier and her niece Cana Bilir-Meier published 82 poems from this collection for the first time in the volume "Mein Name ist Ausländer/Benim Adım Yabancı" (edition assemblage) in German and Turkish.

The author denounces racism, class discrimination or Ableism and advocates gender equality. She calls for solidarity and resistance, writes about love, rebellion, work, friendship and the hope for a better present and future.

The editors Zühal Bilir-Meier and Cana Bilir-Meier will read poems by Semra Ertan and talk about her life.

Zühal Bilir-Meier is the sister of Semra Ertan. Born in Mersin/Turkey, she moved in 1970 to her parents, who lived as so-called "guest workers" in Kiel/Germany. She studied agricultural science and social pedagogy in Kiel and Munich and today works in her own practice in Munich as a child and adolescent psychotherapist. Cana Bilir-Meier is the niece of Semra Ertan. Born in Munich/Germany, she studied art education and digital media in Vienna and Istanbul. She works as a filmmaker, art educator and in visual art projects. Together with her mother Zühal Bilir-Meier and other people, she founded the initiative in memory of Semra Ertan in Hamburg in 2018.

A cooperation event of Chill ma e.V., Bündnis Tag der Solidarität - kein Schlussstrich Dortmund and literaturhaus.dortmund.