Temporal Dislocation and Nostalgia in What Have You Seen, Stockholm?

This study examines the theme of nostalgia in the novel Stokholmê Te Çi Dîtîye Bêje (Stokholm What Have You Seen Tell Me) by Bavê Nazê. Following the military coup of 1980 in Turkey, many Kurds who had been involved in political activities emigrated to Sweden. As their organizations dissolved, they channeled their energy and motivation into language and literature, forming a significant phase in Kurdish literature that is often referred to as a literary school. Because these writers lived in exile, longing for their homeland and the past, they wrote about their country and personal experiences in a nostalgic manner. In this study, we examine the nostalgia present in the novel Stokholm What Have You Seen Tell Me. The protagonist, Bêkes, portrayed as a suspect in the assassination of Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme, nostalgically recalls his experiences in his homeland and the advice of his parents. Through these memories, he attempts to free himself from his troubles. This study is analyzed with the help of theories by scholars such as Svetlana Boym, Fred Davis and Barbara Stern. The nostalgia in this novel emerges in four categories: social-cultural nostalgia, place and nature nostalgia and youth and love nostalgia. This nostalgia is employed as a mechanism for protecting identity and as a refuge against the hardships of exile.