From Parisian ashes
A Kurdish Odyssey of memory, exile, and the unyielding spirit
By Khaled Salih
Hiner Saleem’s latest novel, translated in Kurmanji as EZ Û EZ. Jiyana min a piştî mirinê(Me and Me: My Life After Death), is a tour de force of narrative innovation and profound emotional depth. Translated from French and published by Avesta in Istanbul in 2024, Saleem – a renowned filmmaker and author, celebrated for works like Vodka Lemon and My Father’s Rifle – invites readers into a post-mortem existence as experienced by his protagonist, Dilman Salim, whose consciousness resides within his own ashes. This audacious conceit elevates the novel beyond mere autobiography, transforming it into a philosophical meditation on identity, displacement, and the enduring human spirit.
