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Jack Scott
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Turkey Street: Jack and Liam move to Bodrum Paperback – May 18, 2015

by Jack Scott (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 66 ratings
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Six months into their Turkish affair, Jack and Liam, a gay couple from London, took lodgings in the oldest ward of Bodrum Town. If they wanted to shy away from the curtain-twitchers, they couldn’t have chosen a worse position. Their terrace overlooked Turkey Street like the balcony of Buckingham Palace and the middle-aged infidels stuck out like a couple of drunks at a temperance meeting. Against all the odds, the boys from the Smoke were welcomed into the fold by a feisty mix of eccentric locals and a select group of trailblazing expats, irresistible ladies with racy pasts and plucky presents.Hop aboard Jack’s rainbow gulet as he navigates the choppy waters of a town on the march and a national resurgence not seen since Suleiman the Magnificent was at the gates of Vienna. Grab your deckchair for a whirlwind tour of love and duty, passion and betrayal, broken hearts and broken bones, dirty politics and the dawn of a new Ottoman era.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    342 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    May 18, 2015
  4. Dimensions
    5 x 0.86 x 8 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    099323772X
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0993237720
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Cutting wit, giggles and sadness - Jack and Liam's dalliances with the expat world make for compelling reading. Julia Power, Turkey's for Life

Playful, witty and poignant. The characters practically leap off the page. One of the best non-fiction books of the year. Rainbow Book Awards, 2015

A beautifully presented tale that segues cleverly from hilarious and irreverent to heartbreakingly poignant. Kay McMahon, British Expat

Jack Scott expertly blends wit and humour in an accurate portrayal of daily Turkish life, warts and all! Natalie Sayin, the Turkish Travel Blog

Removes Turkey's headscarf and tousles the hair a little - with comical and touching consequences. I loved it. Jay Artale, author, the Bodrum Peninsula Travel Guide

About the Author

Jack Scott was born on a British army base in Canterbury, England in 1960 and spent part of his childhood in Malaysia as a 'forces brat.' A fondness for men in uniforms quickly developed. At the age of eighteen and determined to dodge further education, he became a shop boy on London's trendy King's Road: 'Days on the tills and nights on the tiles were the best probation for a young gay man about town'. After two carefree years, Jack swapped sales for security and got a proper job with a pension attached. In his late forties, passionately dissatisfied with suburban life and middle management, he and his husband abandoned the sanctuary of liberal London for an uncertain future in Turkey. In 2010, Jack started an irreverent narrative about his new life and Perking the Pansies quickly became one of the most popular English language blogs in Turkey. Within a year, he had been featured in the Turkish national press, had published numerous essays and articles in expat and travel magazines and had contributed to the Huffington Post Union of Bloggers. As the blog developed a head of steam, a growing worldwide audience clamoured for a book. Jack duly obliged and his hilarious (well, he thinks so) memoir, 'Perking the Pansies, Jack and Liam move to Turkey' was published in 2011. Jack's critically acclaimed debut book won two Rainbow Book Awards, was shortlisted for the prestigious Polari First Book Prize and was featured in Time Out. The critical success of his debut book opened up a whole new career for Jack. He now works as a freelance writer and author. In 2012, Jack and Liam ended their Anatolian affair and paddled back to Britain on the evening tide. They currently live in Norwich, a surprising cathedral city in eastern England.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Springtime Books (May 18, 2015)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 342 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 099323772X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0993237720
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.1 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.86 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 66 ratings

About the author

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Jack Scott

Jack Scott

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Imagine the absurdity of two openly gay, married, middle aged, middle class men escaping the liberal sanctuary of anonymous London to relocate to a Muslim country. Jack Scott chronicled his exploits with the mad, the bad, the sad and the glad in a blog for the whole world to ignore. Then came the book which became a critically acclaimed best seller. Its success opened out a whole new career for Jack as an author. www.jackscott.info

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
66 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Charles St. Anthony
5.0 out of 5 stars Zeki Muren take me away!!!
Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2016
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Thank you to Jack and Liam for taking me on my Turkish adventure. For my review, I offer some North American perspective.

Us US Americans are notoriously badly traveled--I've been fortunate to travel some, but let's be honest the majority of us barely get to Canada or Mexico, let alone the Middle East. To most here, Turkey sounds like a distant kingdom of magic and mystery. Part thrilling, part terrifying! My limited experience in the Middle East was wonderful, so I was excited to read "Turkey Street" and gain insight into life there as an expat and LGBT.

In this the second book of their adventures, the newness and novelty of the gay couple's move has worn off. The Emigreys (old expats) and VOMITs (victims of men in Turkey) are up to their old tricks, and our protagonists grapple with how to continue evolving while Ataturk's homeland faces some complicated challenges as a rising economic power on the edge of Europe with a proud Islamic tradition.

There's lots of wit and unique turns of phrase I found myself highlighting in the Kindle reader. ***HOWEVER*** warning this book is very very British! Not like Simon Cowell and JK Rowling British, more like Henry VIII and Katie Price British i.e. unless you have some exposure to British culture and history you'll be making solid use of the handy glossary in the back Jack Scott kindly wrote for North American readers wondering what's "blankety blank" and who's "Vicky Pollard."

In the end, "Turkey Street" is a great read, and I learned about both Turkish AND British culture. Now please excuse me while I apply my slapper red lipstick and groove to the "Best of Zeki Muren" on my iTunes!
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Erin O'Quinn
5.0 out of 5 stars A lavish banquet of language, a delicious taste of understated love.
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2017
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TURKEY STREET, the sequel to Jack Scott’s PERKING THE PANSIES, is a satisfying hail and farewell to the unlikely Muslim country two gays fell in love with, passionately courted, and reluctantly left behind.

Like the first book, this one is a tasty Turkish delight, a mad dervish of colorful characters, and a love song to an adopted country. The main difference I find in these pages is a more tangible undercurrent of sadness and the inevitability of kismet’s farewell kiss. The bitter-sweet texture is what gives this sequel its uniqueness, much as the first one is rare for its witty narrative and remarkable characters.

Happiness is often defined by its opposite. In TURKEY STREET Scott gives us a symbolic olive tree dedicated to a fallen lover, an orphan lost in a brutal system, and broken family members who pull the heart strings back to England.

Both Jack (the narrator) and Liam (his husband) have the kind of breezy wit that keeps the story moving with grace and style. Author Scott has the rare ability to speak volumes with a few well chosen words and tongue-in-cheek innuendo. Being a student of language, I appreciate the glossaries at the end—street Turkish and even Brit-speak with more than a little Polari thrown into the mix.

If there be a narrative flaw, it would be the occasional lapse of point of view, where we see a brief scene through the eyes and mind of a character other than Jack. Picky, picky. By and large, I feasted on this story…a lavish banquet of language, a delicious taste of understated love.
One person found this helpful
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Mete Karadeniz
5.0 out of 5 stars Great as usual!
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2015
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As a person who is absolutely in love with Bodrum all I can say this is just another great book! I loved the first 3 books and this one is also wonderful. Love you Liam and Jack. Keep on rocking guys!
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SEM
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2015
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Loved It!
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candleaficionado
5.0 out of 5 stars Turkey Street Funny and Insightful
Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2015
Turkey Street, by Jack Scott is at once a charming travel memoir and a smart, sassy commentary on how a small community of expatriates -- including a British gay couple -- get along each day in foreign lands such as Turkey, where the book takes place.

Jack and Liam have gone to the tiny town of Bodrun along the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts on an extended holiday from the dank fogs of London. This is the story of the outrageous people they meet and the oftentimes funny, sometimes poignant, situations in which they find themselves.

Seen primarily through the eyes of Jack, the neighborhood comes alive with warmth and hospitality at their arrival. Their Turkish landlady, Beril, seems to think that by fixing them any one of two dozen Turkish dishes, she can put a bad mood or situation instantly better. Her efforts are met with long-suffering patience by Jack and Liam, whose domestic devotion -- if not always bliss -- shines through the entire narrative.

We meet many characters of note. There's Sophia, a one-time aspiring film star, but now "a resolutely single, well-appointed Turkish widow with dazzling white hair fashioned into a bun and a heart in a million pieces" even years after the death of her diplomat husband.

There's Sean, Liam's severely handicapped younger brother, whose "overfriendly' demeanor makes him many friends. Liam is fiercely protective of him, even after thirty years, and agonizes when he must finally put him in a home when their mother can no longer care for him.

"Liam helped Sean from his wheelchair and the two brothers sat side by side on the small bed, hands held, sensing the overwhelming inevitability of a situation neither of them could change."

We meet Nancy, whose faithless love for a sea captain outweighs her good sense. "Nancy's pneumatic chest heaved and her heart pounded expectantly, like a virgin on her wedding night."

And, we meet Grit, the innkeeper of a one-star establishment called the Otel Latmos. "There was no disguising it. Grit was a bit of a gorilla. Six feet and more in her cross-hikers, she had the lumbering gait of a silverback."

Ultimately, however, this is a tale about Jack and Liam's devotion to each other and how they weather the ups and downs common to any relationship, and his deft treatment of the story -- told with humor and grace -- speaks volumes for how much they care for one another.

Overall, I found the book to be well-written and insightful -- particularly on the subject of Turkey and its status in the world community. I give Turkey Street an unqualified five stars.
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Top reviews from other countries

Carol Phillips
5.0 out of 5 stars Witty insight to expat Turkey
Reviewed in Canada on July 12, 2015
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A delightful read! At times intimate yet lighthearted, uplifting yet poignant, sad yet laugh-out-loud funny. Jack Scott writes in his own unique voice and his love of life and his fellow human beings comes through loud and clear. Although I thought at times that I might require the glossery of British terms his wit needed no translation. His assessments of his neighbouring expats and Turkish friends alike and are bitingly candid but never malicious. We see the wonder and trials of a new place, as he experiences it with his beloved Liam, through his words and stories. Jack and Liam are a pair you wish you could have dinner with even as their subsequent assessment of your company might make you wince! Now I must go back and find that first book Jack wrote!
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Jane KM
5.0 out of 5 stars Witty and gritty - a glorious read!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 21, 2016
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I devoured Perking the Pansies by the same author and am delighted that this second book is every bit as good as the first. The further adventures of Jack and husband, Liam, follow this glorious couple in all their technicolour gayness through their (mis?)-spent time in Bodrum. Providing a fabulously irreverent peak into both local and expat community, as they sashay from the glitterati to poignantly painted down-on-their-luck characters, Scott peels back the layers of expat life and the sense of pace and fun is infectious. But Scott never loses sight that these are real people in a real place and it is as if we are simply hiding behind a curtain, watching a spectacular reality show with shades of light and dark, humour and pathos in turn. I particularly enjoyed the insightful comments on Turkey, its history, political, economic and cultural confusion and the outrageous audacity of this very loving couple to attempt life in a country as it focusses more and more on its Muslim mores. Witty, gritty and thoroughly readable – loved it!
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Michele Aktalay
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!
Reviewed in Germany on July 5, 2015
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Easy to read and very witty! I loved this book. Perfect for reading on the beach with a cocktail in hand!
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Stuart
5.0 out of 5 stars If you read anything this year, this is a must.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 28, 2015
Verified Purchase
After reading Jack Scott's first book "Perking the Pansies" I hoped for a sequel.

This is it. What a joy.

Finished in one sitting - through the evening and most of the night.

It's the literary equivalent of Oscar Wilde's comment about cigarettes. To paraphrase;: "exquisite and yet when finished, leaves you wanting for
more".

Witty, humorous and with some sad bits - but not many of those. It's a beautifully crafted book that isn't just a "page turner" but a real "eye opener".

Brave, honest and an insight into life choices that I don't think I would ever have the courage to undertake, let alone put in writing.

Thank you. It's been a pleasure.
3 people found this helpful
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Bob of Newport Pagnell
4.0 out of 5 stars Very funny writings, as a frequent visitor to Bodrum it ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 22, 2017
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Very funny writings, as a frequent visitor to Bodrum it brought a lot of memories
Would tell friends to read it.
One person found this helpful
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