Ece Temelkuran Examines Displacement in New Book

Kristina Lindquist reviews Ece Temelkuran’s “Främlingsnationen” (“The Nation of Strangers”) in Sweden’s Dagens Nyheter, noting its exploration of roughly 120 million displaced people worldwide. Temelkuran, a Turkish author, began the book after leaving Turkey and experiencing exile in Zagreb, Hamburg, and Berlin. She developed a sense of aversion to vulnerability while in exile.

The book centers on the concept of a “nation of strangers,” examining what happens when displaced people establish themselves in new locations. Temelkuran corresponds with people who have crossed borders, repeatedly asking questions about identity, departure, and return. Lindquist notes the author’s sometimes dense and metaphorical prose.

Temelkuran draws connections between the experiences of contemporary refugees and historical figures like Dante, who first addressed the dignity of those fleeing their homes. She also observes subtle forms of discrimination, such as an “invisible human filter” at Hamburg’s central train station. The book does not resolve the complex negotiations required to secure asylum—a trade of silence for the right to remain—but continues to map the stakes of displacement.