Buried History of Poverty

Buried History of Poverty features selections from Efe Duyan’s four defining poetry volumes. From the contemplative echoes of The Silence Between Two Heartbeats (2023) to the formative poems in Swap (2008), this book charts the evolution of Duyan’s unique voice. Trained as an architect and philosopher, and currently teaching both architecture and modern Turkish poetry in Istanbul, Duyan is celebrated for his rare blend of structural precision and intellectual depth. His widely translated work, including selections from Frequently Asked Questions (2016) and One Poem Stands (2012), has resonated globally, confirming his status as a major contemporary poet. His is a world where space, time, and human feeling are rendered with striking clarity and insight.

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Born in 1981 in Istanbul, Efe Duyan is a poet, novelist, and architecture scholar. His poetry has been translated into nearly 30 languages, and he has been invited to numerous international festivals since 2009.  He took part in the Iowa International Writing Program and served as Hurst Professor at St. Louis University. He has given guest lectures at institutions such as Ca’ Foscari, George Washington, Georgia State, and Boston Massachusetts universities.  A committed cultural activist since the early 2000s, he has co-founded several international poetry festivals, edited literary magazines, and translated works by several contemporary poets into Turkish.  His poetry books include İki Kalp Atışı Arasında Sessizlik (Silence Between Two Heartbeats, 2023), Sıkça Sorulan Sorular (Frequently Asked Questions, 2016), Tek Şiirlik Aşklar (One Poem Stands, 2012), and Takas (Swap, 2006).  His novel Başka (2022) explores empathy through speculative fiction. His selected poems have been published in Taiwan (Poetry on the Street, 2021), the USA (The Behavior of Words, 2023), Mexico (The Statue inside the Rock, 2024), and Latvia (My Conscience is a Hungry Fox, 2025).  He currently teaches architecture at RISEBA University in Riga.