author
Kelemen Mikes
1690–1761
Remembered for his warm, witty Letters from Turkey, this exiled Hungarian writer helped shape modern Hungarian prose. His life was marked by loyalty, long years far from home, and a voice that still feels personal centuries later.
2 Audiobooks
Zágoni Mikes Kelemen törökországi levelei (2. kötet)
by Kelemen Mikes
Zágoni Mikes Kelemen törökországi levelei (1. kötet)
by Kelemen Mikes
About the author
Born in 1690 in Zágon, in Transylvania, he became a Hungarian writer, translator, and close companion of Prince Francis II Rákóczi. He followed Rákóczi through years of political struggle and exile, eventually settling in Rodosto in the Ottoman Empire, where he spent much of his adult life.
His best-known work, Letters from Turkey, made him a lasting figure in Hungarian literature. Written as if addressed to an aunt, the letters blend observation, humor, homesickness, and everyday detail, and they are often credited with helping lay the foundations of Hungarian literary prose.
He died in 1761, still in exile. What gives his writing its lasting appeal is not only its historical value, but its human voice: thoughtful, intimate, and quietly vivid.