PALEWELL PRESS

Butterfly of the Night by Kurdish author, Haydar Karatas, translated into English by Caroline Stockford from the original Turkish manuscript Gece Kelebegi, is a true and utterly heartbreaking family history written  through the eyes of Haydar's mother. Between the ages of 6 and 12 years, she was swept up in a series of tragic historical events in the mountainous region of Dersim in Northeastern Anatolia. On 4 May 1937, Turkey's Council of Ministers secretly decided on a forceful attack against western-central Dersim. In the resulting campaign, thousands of civilians died. The loss of so many men from rural communities and the chaos caused by military incursions triggered a famine that led to further deaths. Taking refuge high up in the mountains and eating wild plants, Haydar’s grandmother struggled to keep herself and her little girl, Haydar’s mother, alive. This is their story.

Butterfly of the Night launched in October 2021. You can order a copy from this page for £10.99 plus postage or from Amazon.