Turkish Library
The Turkish Library presents milestones in Turkish literature from 1900 to the present. Its aim is to introduce German-speaking readers to the cultural and intellectual world of modern Turkey. It was published by Erika Glassen and Jens Peter Laut.
The collection features select texts by renowned authors whose works have not yet been accessible to German readers despite their significance in Turkish literature. It ranges from novels, autobiographies, traditional narratives, modern short stories and poems to essays on literature and cultural history – all translated into German for the first time. The collection includes classic early 20th century novels that have become mainstays of Turkish literature as well as recent works by contemporary Turkish authors.
The 20 volumes of the Turkish Library were published in the years 2005 to 2010. Each volume is an excellent translation of its Turkish original. The collection is publicized widely by guest readings, literary-musical events, expert discussions and intensive media work. Teaching materials on Turkish literature have been distributed to schools by Stiftung Lesen and Verlag an der Ruhr. Additionally, an exhibition on the Turkish Library is being shown in many libraries and cultural Institutions throughout Germany.
(Artist: Bayram Gümüş)
The collection features select texts by renowned authors whose works have not yet been accessible to German readers despite their significance in Turkish literature. It ranges from novels, autobiographies, traditional narratives, modern short stories and poems to essays on literature and cultural history – all translated into German for the first time. The collection includes classic early 20th century novels that have become mainstays of Turkish literature as well as recent works by contemporary Turkish authors.
The 20 volumes of the Turkish Library were published in the years 2005 to 2010. Each volume is an excellent translation of its Turkish original. The collection is publicized widely by guest readings, literary-musical events, expert discussions and intensive media work. Teaching materials on Turkish literature have been distributed to schools by Stiftung Lesen and Verlag an der Ruhr. Additionally, an exhibition on the Turkish Library is being shown in many libraries and cultural Institutions throughout Germany.
(Artist: Bayram Gümüş)
More Information
Audio and Video
Deutschlandradio Kultur interviewing Bettina Berns
Twenty volumes of contemporary Turkish literature available for German-speaking readers
Stuttgart - They are Sabahattin Ali, Ayşe Kulin, Ahmet Ümit, and Adalet Ağaoğlu - great names of Turkish literature but totally unknown in Germany. Thomas Mann, Christa Wolf, and Günter Grass have all been translated into Turkish, but who is familiar with Turkish counterparts such as Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar, Leyla Erbil, and Murathan Mungan?
Tradition of major translation projects
Families originally from Turkey have lived in Germany for generations now, and Germans have gradually become more familiar with their customs. However, when it comes to Turkish literature, Germans know very little. The Robert Bosch Stiftung, which has been unequivocal in promoting German-Turkish relations since 2003, wanted to change all that. Following in the grand tradition of its previous major translation projects - the Polish and Czech libraries - it founded a Turkish library of contemporary writing. The Foundation discovered great partners in professor of literature Erika Glassen, Turkish studies expert Professor Jens Peter Laut, and Lucien Leitess from the Unionsverlag publishing house.
The past six years have seen 15 novels from the period 1900 to 2005 published, along with five anthologies containing stories, poems, and essays. Works by celebrated authors such as Halid Ziya Uşaklıgil, Yusuf Atılgan, and Aslı Erdoğan are now available in German bookshops.
Hundred years of Turkey
The title of the last book to be published could lend its name to the entire series - “A Hundred Years of Turkey.” Readers of the beautifully bound books, their covers bearing works by contemporary Turkish artists, can not only discover more than 150 Turkish authors, they also gain a deep understanding of the essence and mood of Turkish society, which has been facing up to the challenges of dealing with the West since the days of Atatürk.
The Foundation was not content with merely supporting this extensive translation project. An exhibition about the Turkish library, teaching materials for schools, a collection of materials for students of Turkish studies, and a range of readings by authors and literary and musical evenings have ensured that the Turkish library has been introduced to a number of different groups of readers. Various partners are on board, including the Stiftung Lesen (Reading Foundation), literary houses, municipal libraries, and many German-Turkish associations and initiatives. “An ambitious and generous project arriving at exactly the right time,” wrote the Badische Zeitung newspaper.
(Dr. Bettina Berns, Bosch-Zünder, October 18, 2010, Artist: Bayram Gümüş)
Stuttgart - They are Sabahattin Ali, Ayşe Kulin, Ahmet Ümit, and Adalet Ağaoğlu - great names of Turkish literature but totally unknown in Germany. Thomas Mann, Christa Wolf, and Günter Grass have all been translated into Turkish, but who is familiar with Turkish counterparts such as Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar, Leyla Erbil, and Murathan Mungan?
Tradition of major translation projects
Families originally from Turkey have lived in Germany for generations now, and Germans have gradually become more familiar with their customs. However, when it comes to Turkish literature, Germans know very little. The Robert Bosch Stiftung, which has been unequivocal in promoting German-Turkish relations since 2003, wanted to change all that. Following in the grand tradition of its previous major translation projects - the Polish and Czech libraries - it founded a Turkish library of contemporary writing. The Foundation discovered great partners in professor of literature Erika Glassen, Turkish studies expert Professor Jens Peter Laut, and Lucien Leitess from the Unionsverlag publishing house.
The past six years have seen 15 novels from the period 1900 to 2005 published, along with five anthologies containing stories, poems, and essays. Works by celebrated authors such as Halid Ziya Uşaklıgil, Yusuf Atılgan, and Aslı Erdoğan are now available in German bookshops.
Hundred years of Turkey
The title of the last book to be published could lend its name to the entire series - “A Hundred Years of Turkey.” Readers of the beautifully bound books, their covers bearing works by contemporary Turkish artists, can not only discover more than 150 Turkish authors, they also gain a deep understanding of the essence and mood of Turkish society, which has been facing up to the challenges of dealing with the West since the days of Atatürk.
The Foundation was not content with merely supporting this extensive translation project. An exhibition about the Turkish library, teaching materials for schools, a collection of materials for students of Turkish studies, and a range of readings by authors and literary and musical evenings have ensured that the Turkish library has been introduced to a number of different groups of readers. Various partners are on board, including the Stiftung Lesen (Reading Foundation), literary houses, municipal libraries, and many German-Turkish associations and initiatives. “An ambitious and generous project arriving at exactly the right time,” wrote the Badische Zeitung newspaper.
(Dr. Bettina Berns, Bosch-Zünder, October 18, 2010, Artist: Bayram Gümüş)
The Turkish Library
All volumes of the Turkish Library including bibliographic information and brief reviews.
Photos: Deborah Eisinger