Peru's Oquendo Poems Shown in Istanbul
An exhibition of Carlos Oquendo de Amat's 5-meter poetry collection opens in Istanbul during the 4th Ibero-American Writers' Meeting.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Fine Art
Peru's Ambassador to Türkiye opened an exhibition of Carlos Oquendo de Amat's "5 Metros de Poemas" in Istanbul as part of the 4th Ibero-American Writers' Meeting. The Turkish edition was published after several printing houses declined the project due to its unusual format.
Why it matters
The collection's accordion format, measuring 5 meters (16 feet), made it difficult for printers to produce, raising questions about how unconventional literary works are preserved and shared across languages. The exhibition brings the poet's only collection to a new readership in Türkiye.
The original collection was published in 1927 in an accordion format measuring 5 meters (16 feet) long, and the poet died at age 32 shortly after its release. The stub does not report print runs or sales figures for the Turkish edition.
The players
Carlos Oquendo de Amat
Peruvian poet who published "5 Metros de Poemas" in 1927 before dying at age 32.
Istanbul Cervantes Institute
Cultural institution that co-organizes the Ibero-American Writers' Meeting in Istanbul.
The details
Enlarged reproductions of selected pages were printed on large cardboard panels to frame the exhibition room. The Turkish publisher's editor-in-chief said that printing the unusual format required considerable effort, and Luz Caballero presented an award to the editor for the translation work.
Timeline
1927: "5 Metros de Poemas" is originally published.
November 3-5, 2026: The 4th Ibero-American Writers' Meeting takes place in Istanbul, where the exhibition is held.
Big Picture
The Turkish edition extends the reach of the 1927 accordion-format publication of "5 Metros de Poemas" nearly a century later, into a language the original never reached. The stub notes that next year will mark the work's 100th anniversary.
Readers in Türkiye can now encounter the collection through the Turkish edition and the Istanbul exhibition during the writers' meeting. The unusual format means the work is best experienced in person through the exhibition's enlarged panels.
The takeaway
A work that printers once refused because of its size has found its way into a new language and a public exhibition. Its survival shows how persistence by translators and publishers can carry unusual literary forms across borders.
What happens next
Next year will mark the 100th anniversary of "5 Metros de Poemas".
Further reading
Explore more in Fine Art for other exhibitions that bring unconventional works to new audiences.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Daily Sabah.
