Turkish literature
All topics-
Interview with Turkish author Murathan Mungan"Politics needs a new language"
Murathan Mungan is one of Turkey's most famous authors. His works deal with topics such as the Kurdish conflict, political Islam and gender issues. Ceyda Nurtsch spoke to him about language, identity and political resistance
-
Book review: "Embers" by Murat UyurkulakThe oddballs of Ominosia
The Turkish writer Murat Uyurkulak's novel "Glut" (roughly translatable as "Embers") is a socially critical allegory of his homeland. Although not available in English, it has recently been published in German translation. Ceyda Nurtsch reports on a book that to the astonishment of its author has escaped the sharp eye of the censors in Turkey
-
A literary anthology of the Gezi protestsGezi lives!
In "Gezi – A Literary Anthology", a volume of essays that was recently published in German, 19 Turkish authors and a photographer reflect on the motivation and dynamics of the Gezi movement. By Astrid Kaminski
-
Interview with Elif Shafak"There is a lack of democratic culture in Turkey"
The Turkish writer Elif Shafak is one of the country's best-selling authors and one of the best known Turkish writers worldwide. In her books, she intertwines sensitive Turkish issues with cosmopolitan stories and Sufism. In this interview, she talks to Ceyda Nurtsch about how she plays with language, the role of fiction and the democratisation of Turkey
-
Art and protest in TurkeyPoking fun at the sultan
For about a year now, Turkey has been experiencing one of its worst ever political crises. It is a situation that has given the country's art scene a chance to flourish and to exercise its creativity in protest. However, such activity often entails the risk of serious consequences. By Senada Sokollu in Istanbul
-
"Serenade" by Zülfü LivaneliTurkish Plea for Tolerance
In his novel "Serenade", the composer, singer and author Zülfü Livaneli writes about Armenian, Jewish and Muslim identity, mirrored in 20th century Turkey's history and the crimes of the Second World War. A review by Astrid Kaminski
-
Interview with the Turkish Writer Mario Levi''Dialogue is the Most Important Thing!''
In this interview with Ceyda Nurtsch, Turkish author and journalist Mario Levi speaks about anti-Semitism in Turkey, writing as an escape and how remembering can become a political act
-
Interview with Pinar Selek''I Can Feel a Huge Amount of Solidarity''
The sociologist and author Pinar Selek spoke with Hülya Köylü Schenk on her sentence of life imprisonment in Turkey and on the solidarity she has been receiving from many levels of society
-
Post-Migrant Literature in Germany''The time has come to speak out very, very loudly''
The writers duo Marianne Salzmann and Deniz Utlu are pioneers of Germany's post-migrant literary scene. In this interview with Astrid Kaminski, they talk about 'transcultural perspectives', the meaning of subculture and anti-Semitism in Germany
-
Interview with the Turkish writer Oya Baydar''Turkey is a country of miracles''
The writer and journalist Oya Baydar speaks here to Ceyda Nurtsch about the role of the novel in Turkey in exploring the country's history, and why Turkish intellectuals were more optimistic about the democratisation of their country than they are now
-
Interview with Orhan Pamuk''The Museum of Innocence'' – A Declaration of Love to the City of Istanbul
Orhan Pamuk is Turkey's most famous writer. In 2006 he also became the first ever Turkish writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize. He recently presented a very special museum to his home city of Istanbul. An interview by Aygül Cizmecioglu
-
Turkish Cultural PolicyContinuity and Change
The diversity of literature presented at the Frankfurt Book Fair also illustrates the contradictions in Turkish society today. Ömer Erzeren with an essay on Turkishliterary and cultural production between Kemalism and the religious conservative AKP