Nilay Kılınç is a social anthropologist, writer, and documentary filmmaker. She holds a Master’s degree in European Studies from Lund University and a PhD in Migration and Mobility Studies from the University of Surrey. She pursued theatre studies at the Istanbul City Conservatory and performed in the musical Sabaha Az Kala, also touring to theatre festivals like DialogFest Berlin. Nilay’s research and artistic work primarily focuses on migration, diasporas, transnationalism, and the concepts of identity, home, and belonging. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at URBARIA , University of Helsinki. Her ongoing research (2023-2026), funded by the KONE Foundation, explores the active participation of creative migrants in democratic processes within Finland’s socio-political landscape. In 2022, Nilay directed and co-produced the feature-length documentary Arkadaşloch – Nobody’s Problem with the Linz-based production company LM Media. Since its release, the documentary has been featured in 18 international film festivals and four academic conferences, earning seven festival awards and five nominations. She is also the co-author, alongside Russell King, of the forthcoming book A Place in the Homeland? Turkish-German Return Migration (2025). Beyond her academic endeavours, Nilay contributes creative pieces to arts and culture magazines such as New Heroes and Pioneers (Sweden) and Astra (Finland).