About Me

Meltem Arıkan was born in Ankara in 1968. Her first short stories and essays were publishedbetween 1992 to 1995 in various literary journals. Her first novel, “Ve… Veya… Belki” (And…Or… Maybe), was published in 1999. Unfortunately, her fourth novel, Yeter Tenimi Acıtmayın(Stop Hurting My Flesh), was banned in early 2004 by the Turkish government. The ban waslifted after prolonged legal fighting, and Arıkan was awarded the “Freedom of Thought andSpeech Award 2004” by the Turkish Publishers’ Association.

Turkish authorities claimed that the play “Mi Minor,” staged in 2012, was a “provocation” that led to the Gezi Park demonstrations in 2013.

Their subsequent hate campaign, fuelled by the state-sponsored media, forced her to give up her career as a trainer, where she had been providing “human resources”, “effective communication,” and “body language” training to many institutions and organisations, as well as her position as chairman of the board and partner in an architecture, project and consultancy company, and to leave Turkey with her son. She chose to settle in Wales as an exile, a country she had always felt drawn to.

Arikan was nominated for the ‘Freedom of Expression in Art’ award by the Index on Censorship.Arıkan’s many books and theatre plays received multiple awards and widespread recognition inTurkey. She wrote twelve books, nine of which were novels. She also wrote five theatre playsand a short opera libretto for the “Eurotopia” project organised by Theatre Freiburg in 2017.Her articles on autism, censorship, violence against women, the digital world, and existentialismhave been published on internet portals such as News Junkie Post, Index on Censorship,Kazete and Gazete Davul since 2011.

She was diagnosed with Autism /Asperger at the age of 52; since then, She has been workingtirelessly to break the barriers and prejudices that neurodivergent encounter and share her lifeexperience with the public.The Autism diagnosis has been liberating for her. She realises that her wiring system makes it harder for her to do things that come naturally to others. On the flip side, it is essential to beaware that Asperger’s gives her magical perceptions that many neurotypicals are incapable of.Her decision to come out with her diagnosis was due to the desire to raise awareness of the  Autism spectrum, which is lacking even today. Believing that the path to psychological and bodily health should be; “designed personally,”according to individual needs, I have been studying and researching different methods to help inthe therapeutic process, including “Understanding Autism”, “Advanced awareness of Autism” and “Hypno-CBT”… I joined many workshops and was able to work with experts in their field,such as “Mindfulness” Jon Kabat Zinn and Eecart Toll. ‘Shamanic Journey for Guidance andHealing’ from Sandra Ingerman. Lately, she gained the “Cognitive-Behavioural HypnotherapyDiploma” from The UK College of Hypnosis & Hypnotherapy and “Smoking Cessation” training at the same college, accredited by the National Council for Hypnotherapy, the General Hypnotherapy Register, the Register for Evidence-Based Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy and approved by the British Psychological Society. (Please click the link to see all the training and learning activities)She currently works as a full-time Cognitive-Behavioural Hypnotherapist, Mindfulness and Art-based Counsellor, Author, and Groove Dance facilitator in Wales.”

BOOKS

1999, And… Or… Maybe…, (Arkadaş Publications (4th edition, 2011)

2000, Yes… But… As If… Arkadaş Publications (4th edition, 2011)

2002, Undressing Herself, Arkadaş Publications (6th edition, 2011)

2003, Stop Hurting My Flesh, Arkadaş Publications (7th edition, 2011)

2005, You Exist In No Way, Everest Publications (5 editions, 2005-08)

2006, Hope is a Curse, Eksik Parça Publications (5 editions)

2008 The Body Knows, Destek Publications 

2009, The Tempest of Yearning, Yitik Ülke Publications (3 editions)

2012, The Tempest of Yearning, Shkupi Publishing House (translated to Albanian by Ahmed Quazimi published in Macedonia)

2015, Erospa, Akılçelen Publications
2018, Tek Bildikleri Aşktı, Eksik Parça Publications

2020 I Confess, I’m Guilty, Kekeme Publications

2023 You Are the Medicine, Kindle Books

 

PLAYS

2007, I’m Breaking the Game, 10+ (premiered at the Zurich Theater Spectacle) 

2009, Parallel (dramaturgy), 10+ (premiered at Linz 2009: European Capital of Culture program) 

2012 – 2013, Mi Minor, İstanbul
2017, Enough is Enough, Wales 
2019, Y Brain / Kargalar, Wales

AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS

2004, “Freedom of Thought and Speech Award ” by the Turkish Publishers’ Association for Stop Hurting My Flesh 

2007, “New Unique Play” prize by Lions Theatrical Awards for I’m Breaking the Game 

2012, Mi Minor, “Best Play of the Year” prize by Readers of Radikal Newspaper 

2013, Mi Minor , “Best Play of the Year” nomination at Lions Theatrical Awards 

2014, “Freedom of Expression in Arts Award” shortlisted by Index On Censorship

2019-2020, “The First Elan Valley Creative Wales Fellowship”

FEATURES AND EXHIBITIONS

2014 October, Birds and Words, Roath Park, Terranova Cafe / Wales

2015, Special edition of ARTiculAction  “ Manipulated Everyday ” ARTiculAction Art Review

2020 April, CARAD (Community Arts Rhayader and District) Rhayader Museum and Gallery Featured Artist.

2023 May, Wye Art Center  ‘Thanking with Colour’ exhibition