★ A metaphorical exploration of the epic of women’s lives and a quest for their roots! Employing the highly symbolic image of “the season of sardines,” this work dismantles stereotypical depictions of women, and through the life‑fragments of three generations—Buket, Shejeda, and Sevda—it weaves an epic of the female spirit amid rupture and rebirth, turning “the sixth season” into a poetic footnote to women’s self‑awakening and their cultural origins.
★ This book offers a unique narrative perspective that blends Eastern and Western cultures, taking Cyprus as a cultural crossroads and fusing the cultural DNA of Turkey and Cyprus. Through a multigenerational family saga set against a backdrop of cultural diversity, it examines how cultural exchange shapes individuals and contemplates the existential question of women’s interconnected roots, thereby resonating across cultural boundaries.

——Excerpted from an exclusive interview with the author and this book conducted by Simge Çelkoğlu (one of Cyprus’s most prominent promoters and guardians of art and culture).

“Women are creatures who scrutinize themselves excessively.”
Q: “The Season of Sardines” portrays fragments of the lives of three female characters—Buket, Sögel, and Sevda. I imagine it must be quite challenging for a man to write about women.
“I must say, it is indeed very difficult. Women might feel this even more keenly. I grew up surrounded by many women; there were three generations of women in my family: my three aunts, my sister, my mother, and my grandmother—the influence of women was immense in my household. I witnessed countless examples of women sharing their experiences firsthand. Men were my role models, but women had an even greater impact on me. Today, people need a new sense of identity. All identities, including European identity, require redefinition. We need to take root—first by acknowledging our past origins, confronting history, and then building our new identity. From an existential perspective, when we delve into our deepest roots, we can see a network of connections broad enough to embrace everyone; no one can truly be separated from another, and we also perceive a light that unites all human roots. And it is women who will provide all of this. Women will lead us toward a new world. We will soon witness this transformation. Until now, humanity has paid a heavy price simply because we have clung to the notion that each person has their own isolated roots, rather than recognizing that all roots are interconnected. Even now, artistic music seeks to reveal the commonalities among human origins—transcending emotion, transcending mere closeness… I have tried to articulate this more clearly. I believe the future holds brighter prospects for women, and I have endeavored to convey this message in my novel. I think I can offer them some support in this regard. Moreover, women are far more complex and profound beings; they are also more self-reflective.”

“I realized I couldn’t describe a woman using just a single season.”
Q: We also discussed the title of this book. Undoubtedly, the title of a novel is as important as its content…
“Before I began writing, I considered various titles for the novel, but none satisfied me. I started in the middle, wrote straight through to the end, and only then filled in the beginning. I read over eighty books and conducted extensive research. At that time, I was studying philosophy, particularly the works of Carl Gustav Jung, who developed the theory of archetypes. In fairy tales, there are certain animal-related archetypes. I felt sardines would make an excellent archetype—one that is easily remembered. After all, although sardines don’t naturally inhabit these waters, they are a Mediterranean fish. This archetype carries a deeply unique existential significance. I am deeply fascinated by fairy tales, epics, and myths, partly thanks to Yaşar Kemal. The word ‘season’ has long been aptly used to describe sardines. Finally, the novel features three women, each with her own distinct personality and emotional state. I wondered: what if I likened them to seasons? That’s when I decided that a woman cannot be reduced to a single season. You can describe a man with one season, but a woman truly cannot. A woman can be represented by three or four seasons. Since the book primarily explores the diverse emotional states of women, I felt it made perfect sense to call it ‘The Season of Sardines.’”

“I strive to highlight the presence of different cultures.”
Q: The story centers on Cyprus, yet the multicultural Cyprus of our past continues to shape our lives. In fact, this book takes us back to those times.
“I was born in the 1980s, and our generation tends to weave together diverse elements in our writing. I noticed this myself, though I haven’t fully understood why. Furthermore, I come from Trabzon, where I had many Greek friends from childhood. They visited my home and joined us at religious ceremonies. I also have numerous Greek acquaintances in southern Turkey. Even today, in many parts of Turkey, we still encounter rich cultural diversity. I believe growing up amidst the confluence of Eastern and Western cultures profoundly shapes a person, transforming them entirely. This experience has influenced my writing as well. When I arrived in Cyprus, this multicultural atmosphere became strikingly evident before my eyes. The legacy of the Lusignan dynasty deeply captivated me, and I began to explore it in depth. I carried out extensive research, reading books and watching documentaries. During my ten years in Cyprus, five were spent tracing these historical threads. I wanted to share all of this with readers. Cyprus boasts such a vibrant cultural mosaic and an abundance of values. Through historical sources, I’ve packed my narrative with copious information. Once you grasp the reality of multiculturalism, you can no longer view any place as the exclusive domain of a single ethnic group. As Çetin Altan once said, ‘If you claim, “History begins and ends with me,” you erect a guillotine between your generation and those that follow.’ He often repeated this. These are precisely the concerns that weigh on me. Writing, in a sense, is my response to these anxieties. I try to infuse the novel with all of them. Over the past decade, I’ve participated in numerous peace-related initiatives in Cyprus, deeply empathizing with this issue. Of course, literature imposes nothing on anyone; I impose nothing either. I’m simply telling a story. I hope readers can freely step back from it, form their own perspectives, and reflect inwardly on these questions. Many cultures have intersected here—Armenians, Greeks, and Maronites still live among us today. I seek to ensure they are seen and acknowledged. Perhaps this was my original intention in writing this book. It forms the foundation of the novel. Beyond expressing empathy for different cultures, I also aim to affirm their enduring presence.”

If a woman’s life were likened to the four seasons, her true season would be the sardine season. It is the moment when hope seems to have been shattered, when branches cease to grow and roots appear withered and barren; yet even the tiniest crack can enable a woman to rise again.
This book, told through the perspectives of Buket, Shejer, and Sevda, weaves the stories of all women. Within the natural rhythms of life, some cleave the long night like lightning, others chill to the bone as deep winter does, and still others see spring bloom quietly within their hearts. Love sinks from the heart into the stomach; those who leave home journey to distant lands; two angels descend into human form. Children of a family spanning four generations grow up without a mother’s presence. Hümü and Buket step into a hidden realm beyond existence.
When the sardine season arrives, a woman is no longer the one she was yesterday. She becomes all that she has endured, all that she has transformed. They cling to newly sprouted shoots, bow before the flames, and soar like blazing fire, melting frost with sunlight, slipping into the very fibers of the world through silent rebellion.
Humanity has finally realized that life is too brief to conceal our true feelings. From the very dawn of earth’s storytelling, women have given birth to new identities for humankind. If the sardine season had a lens, it would cast upon us an eternal light, illuminating every inch of root that connects East and West.
Souls bathe in the fragrance of incense, and songs rise from the dust of death. The violin blossoms upon graves, while the clarinet buds forth from earthen jars. The sixth season—the sardine season—stands apart from all calendars, belonging solely to itself.

Tevfik Aytekin
Tevfik Aytekin is a novelist and columnist whose voice springs from the cultural confluence of Turkey and Cyprus. He began his writing career at one of Turkey’s most respected newspapers, Milliyet, where he penned a weekly column for more than two years. Since 2014, he has remained prolific, later serving as editor of Gazedda Cyprus and offering numerous insightful reflections on society, culture, and the human condition.
His debut novel, “Sardine Season,” was published in Turkey in 2020, immediately capturing the attention of the Turkish literary world. Shortly after its release, Varlık, Turkey’s most authoritative literary journal, featured an exclusive interview with him along with a comprehensive book review.
Tevfik is currently at work on his second book. His rich cultural background, profound psychological portrayals, and keen eye for the hidden stories behind characters and places continue to lend strength to his writing.