7th Istanbul Tanpınar Literature Festival to host global writers

ISTANBUL

The Istanbul Tanpınar Literature Festival will be held from May 4 to 8 with the theme ‘City and Frontiers,’ hosting dozens of writers from various countries.

Turkey’s first and biggest literature festival, the Istanbul Tanpınar Literature Festival (ITEF) is set to be held between May 4 and 8, with more than 30 writers from 26 countries attending the festival. 

The theme of this year’s ITEF, which has become a window to foreign markets for Turkish literature, hosting more than 400 authors from 47 countries over its six years of existence, is “City and Frontiers.” 

At this year’s festival, under the sponsorship of Garanti Bank, all events - including interactive literature projects, readings and panels - will be free and open to the public, letting readers meet authors who they already love while also discovering new authors. 

Australian author Markus Zusak, the beloved writer of best-sellers such as “The Book Thief,” “I am the Messenger,” and “When Dogs Cry,” is one of the headline names attending the festival. Zusak, whose books are published by Martı Publishing in Turkey, will share his writing process and sources of inspiration with attendees.

Meanwhile, in cooperation with the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB), the city’s Atatürk Library will offer an extraordinary experience to literature lovers: When the clocks strike exactly 4 a.m., important names of the Turkish literary scene will all read parts from Ahmed Hamdi Tanpınar’s classic “The Time Regulation Institute” at the library.

World-famous authors of children’s literature 

Fatima Sharaffedine, an award-winning author whose books have become a phenomenon in children’s literature, will meet little bookworms at the festival, along with Mauri Kunnas, a world-renowned Finnish writer of children’s literature. 

Laura Restrepo, one of the most important Colombian writers after Gabriel Garcia Marquez, will meet her readers in Turkey for the first time, with the contribution of the Embassy of Colombia.

The festival will also host two important authors from Armenia: Armine Anda, a beloved name of children’s literature, and Hovhannes Tekgyozyan, whose new book “Fleeting City” has been published in Turkey and attracted wide attention.

At the Goethe Institute in Istanbul’s central Beyoğlu district, Norbert Scheuer, a famous German author who drew great attention with his novel “The Rushing of the Water,” and Goce Smilevski will take part in readings.

Other events will hosting writers, illustrators, playwrights from the field of fantasy and science fiction.

Literary events for peace

Meanwhile, a special program on the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli campaign (known as the “Çanakkale Victory” in Turkey) will bring together former adversaries of the Great War by means of literature.

Demet Altınyeleklioğlu, one of the most significant representatives of historical novels in Turkey, and English writer Louis de Bernieres, who attracted a mass following in Turkey with his novel on the Turkish-Greek population exchanges “Birds Without Wings,” will both take part in the “Gallipoli: 100 Years of Peace” program.

Also as part of the same event, Jonathan King, an Australian writer very fond of Turkey, who compiled diaries of ANZAC soldiers in his book “Gallipoli Diaries,” will discuss the experiences of soldiers from both armies.

During the festival’s fellowship program, professionals working in the field of literature and translation will visit publishing houses with their Turkish colleagues during the three-day program, sharing their knowledge and experience in one-on-one meetings, participating in programs that create ground for the development of future joint projects and providing a common market for copyrights.

The Atatürk Library, the Greek Consulate General in Istanbul (Sismanoglio Megaro), and KargArt will be the three main venues for events throughout the festival.

More information: http://itef.kalemkultur.com/