The Case of Cem

The Case of Cem tells a straightforward tale: upon the death of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror in 1481, his eldest son Bayezid takes the throne. Discontented factions within the Ottoman army urge Mehmed’s second son Cem, a well-educated and experienced soldier, to oppose his brother’s ascension and to suggest the two split the empire. Bayezid refuses, setting off a ruthless power struggle. Cem is forced into long years of exile and finds himself essentially a hostage, a pawn for European powers as they try to slow the Ottoman Empire’s expansion. Cem dies in Neapoli in 1495 under mysterious circumstances.

The story is presented as a series of depositions by historical figures before a court, bringing medieval history and modern “courtroom drama” together in a way that is extremely exper- imental for Bulgarian literature of the time. The one character who never speaks directly to the court is Cem himself – he remains silent. The closest we get to Cem is through the Persian poet Saadi, Cem’s companion and erstwhile lover. Saadi is hands- down the most sympathetic character in the book, leading to wonder how Mutafchieva managed to get such positive queer representation past the communist censors of that era.