Judy Light Ayyildiz

Judy taught creative writing at all education levels for 30 years, was an instructor and presenter at literary workshops, international conferences on poetry, writing and women’s studies, is internationally published, was an editor of Artemis, Artists and Writers from the Blue Ridge for 13 years and a Blue Ridge Writers Conference founder. Her books are First Recital, Smuggled Seeds, Mud River, Creative Writing across the Curriculum, Easy Ideas for Busy Teachers, The Writers' Express, Nothing but Time, Some of My Ancestors are Ottomans and Turks. Forty Thorns and its Turkish translation, Kirk Diken, are her new books published in the fall of 2011 by Remzi Book House, Istanbul She has a new book of poetry forthcoming in the spring 2015: Appalachia, Istanbul and Beyond. Literary magazine features include New York Quarterly, Mickle Street Review, the new renaissance, Sow’s Ear, Pig Iron Press, Hawaii Pacific Review, Black Water Review, Northeast Journal, Kalliope, Fjords, and www.editerranean.nu. The international anthology, Women inDialogue: (M) uses in Culture contains her essay, “Weaving This Woman’s Life and Work” with excerpts from her books. Winner of “Nazim Hikmet 2009 Poetry Festival Prize and a 2010 “Educator of the Year Award.” Forty Thorns was 2012 Literary Fiction winner in International Book Awards. Judy is completing a memoir.