https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Fej8igH_3o I Living is no laughing matter: you must live with great seriousness like a squirrel, for example— I mean without looking for something beyond and above living, I mean living must be your whole occupation. Living is no laughing matter: you must take it seriously, so much so and to such a degree … Continue reading ‘On Living’ a poem by Nazim Hikmet
Best Seller for a New Age – ‘Madonna in a Fur Coat’ by Sabahattin Ali
“Kürk Mantolu Madonna” by Sabahattin Ali was first published in 48 parts in Hakikat newspaper in 1940, before being published in book form in 1943. In 1998 it was republished by Yapi Kredi Yayinlar and to date has sold over 1.6 million copies in 85 reprints. Sales are reported to be 10-15,000 copies per month, … Continue reading Best Seller for a New Age – ‘Madonna in a Fur Coat’ by Sabahattin Ali
Why we need to translate Seray Şahiner
The first time I read Seray Şahiner’s work was almost ten years ago when her initial collection of short stories Gelin Başı (Bridal Hair) came out. I was immediately struck by her powerful and unfeigned writing. Never two-dimensional, her characters popped out of the pages full flesh, blood, tears and laughs. Already then, I had … Continue reading Why we need to translate Seray Şahiner
Story Hunters on a Secret Mission: The Beyoğlu Adventure
Many children daydream about being a detective or a spy sometime in their childhood. Sara Şahinkanat and Ayşe Inan Alican, with translation by Feyza Howell, have teamed up to create the perfect book to aid a 'Miss Marple in the making' or 'Hercule Poirot hunting up either a hero or a hırsız (thief).' The main … Continue reading Story Hunters on a Secret Mission: The Beyoğlu Adventure
‘Cooking New Istanbul Style’ by Refika Birgül
When you think of Turkish cuisine, the odds are that visions of kebabs and sticky desserts come to mind. However, over the last few years, a breath of fresh air has swept through the nation’s kitchens where the same traditional ingredients are now being used in exciting new ways. Refika Birgül has been an early … Continue reading ‘Cooking New Istanbul Style’ by Refika Birgül
‘A Strangeness in My Mind’ by Orhan Pamuk
Orhan Pamuk’s latest novel has rightly been called a love letter to his home city of Istanbul, but this may mislead unfamiliar readers; for the pages convey neither swooning adoration nor healthy affection, but rather Pamuk’s compulsive fascination with this place. Through the eyes of his sensitive protagonist, he takes us on a street-level tour … Continue reading ‘A Strangeness in My Mind’ by Orhan Pamuk
‘My Grandmother’ by Fethiye Çetin
By Dr. Rubina Peroomian I want to start this blog with the question posed to me after I delivered the keynote speech at the AIEA (Association internationale des études armeniénnes) Conference, last week, held in Oxford UK (my topic was “The Diasporan Armenian Literature Entering the Second Century of the Continuing Effects of the Genocide”). … Continue reading ‘My Grandmother’ by Fethiye Çetin
‘Never Regret The Pain: Loving and Losing a Bipolar Spouse’ by Sel Erder Yackley
Sel Erder Yackley is a native Türk -- an immigrant and now a citizen of America. I had the chance to hear her sharing memories of living with a bipolar spouse. Her black and white book cover looked awfully grim, the title even grimmer, and the subject did nothing to make me say, "gee, I … Continue reading ‘Never Regret The Pain: Loving and Losing a Bipolar Spouse’ by Sel Erder Yackley
LGBTI identities in Turkish Literature
Beyond Borders: Murathan Mungan’s Texts LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex) identities have been manifested in Turkish literature since the 1960s. Starting with Sait Faik Abasıyanık, Bilge Karasu, Leyla Erbil, and Tezer Özlü, homosexuality and homoerotic moments begin to be depicted openly in novels and short stories rather than with an ambiguous and closed … Continue reading LGBTI identities in Turkish Literature
A Documentary Novel: “The Entrusted Trousseau – Peoples of the Exchange” by Kemal Yalçin
One of the advantages of reading in my adopted language of Turkish is, of course, the range of books available in Turkey by Turkish authors. Books published in Turkey are much cheaper than foreign-language imported books, so this book seemed like a bargain when a bookseller recommended it to me. It changed the way I … Continue reading A Documentary Novel: “The Entrusted Trousseau – Peoples of the Exchange” by Kemal Yalçin
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 