We Call It Home: Istanbul Dialogues - Exploring Istanbul

We Call It Home: Istanbul Dialogues is a monthly series from Yabangee showcasing the inspiring contributions being made by Istanbul’s diverse international community to the city’s cultural, humanitarian, business, and sporting spheres. An opportunity to share moving stories, reflect on personal experiences, and participate in resourceful dialogue. We invite foreigners and locals alike to come listen, learn, and embolden others.

Always a pleasure to confirm esteemed journalist Jennifer Hattam will moderate the occasion. Admission is free, and the discussion will be conducted entirely in English. Wednesday 29 May, doors open at 19:00, with the panel discussion starting at 19:30. The venue is ATÖLYE, located inside the bomontiada complex.

Note: This month's session is on Wednesday. We just want to clarify this point, as it's a change from our normal scheduling.

For May, we're delving into the theme of "Exploring Istanbul," perfectly timed to embrace the splendid weather. Through the captivating narratives and personal experiences shared by our panelists, we're excited to embark on a journey uncovering the myriad facets of this enchanting city we proudly call home.

Moderator:

Jennifer Hattam is a freelance journalist who has been living in Istanbul since 2008. She writes about environmental, social, and urban issues, as well as arts and culture, food, and travel for publications including Bloomberg, Culinary Backstreets, Hyperallergic, Lonely Planet, National Geographic, Thomson Reuters Foundation, Travel + Leisure, and The Washington Post.

Panelists:

Bery Romo is a dedicated, responsible, and friendly content creator born in Mexico. In 2019, she began her career as a full-time content creator specifically focusing on traveling to Türkiye, a country where she has been residing for almost a decade. Her overall goal is to promote Türkiye in a unique way and from her own perspective as a long-term resident as well as to guide her audience who has Türkiye as their next travel destination with essential tips that she shares through her YouTube channel and Instagram ‘Bery Istanbul Tips’.

Lisa Morrow is a sociologist, author and travel writer from Sydney, Australia. She’s lived in Istanbul and other parts of Turkey for almost 15 years and friends call her a yerli yabancı. She started the website Inside Out In Istanbul to share personal experiences and sociological observations of Turkey, focussing on lesser known sights and traditions. Lisa has written five books on Istanbul and Turkey, the latest a guide to Istanbul. Her byline has appeared in The New York Times, BBC Travel, Hyperallergic, CNN Travel, The Smart Set and elsewhere. (Twitter & Instagram)

Vidar Bergum is a Norwegian author and food writer based in Istanbul since 2015. His interest is as much in the food culture and culinary history of the region as it is recipes. His three cookbooks on Turkish and Middle Eastern food has introduced a wide audience in Norway to the region’s food and food culture, and he regularly welcomes groups of culinary travellers to Istanbul. Vidar also runs an English language newsletter (Meze on Substack) and a more recipe focused website at A kitchen in Istanbul. (Instagram)

While this series does largely follow in the footsteps of our previous panel series ‘Expat Spotlight’, these sessions will have more of an emphasis on networking. We encourage attendees to be punctual.

ATÖLYE is located in the complex of Yapı Kredi bomontiada: Silahşör Caddesi, Birahane Sk. No:1, 34381 Şişli