As İlkyaz, we work to introduce three young writers every month. We translate these works, which are be made up of a short stories or poems, into English and endeavour to introduce them to readers outside of Turkey.
June’s works are now live and can be found below.
This, we hope, will create new audiences for our writers in the world arena and introduce them to a global network of the world’s literary figures.
In December, we initiated this effort with Norwegian PEN’s lead. After PEN Germany, PEN Belgium/Flanders continued the very same role for the month of February. For March, PEN French Centre took over the role of promoting our young writers abroad. For the writings of April, we collaborated with PEN South Africa. For May, Scottish PEN took over the role of amplifying our young writers voices within their membership and audience, and PEN Catala takes on the very same role for their own members and audience for June!
Our new section Literature + will be opened very soon with a mission to unite different forms of expression and form bridges between creatives, check out the details here and apply while you can!
Don’t forget to check out our writers under the age of 15, in “15-“, Cem Güler and Ayhan Erkmen’s stories in “Human Portraits”, you can follow famous writers’ rarely known early works by clicking “İlkyaz’ıları” and Tanıl Bora’s reading suggestions to young writers.
You can also keep up with new shares on our blog, our music playlist and new entries on our main page.
Leyla Türkeri- Bach ya da Şimdi / Bach or Now
“Dolmush arrives. Let’s get on. We get on.
It is always full around this time. In these muddied waters faces are crestfallen, those late from work, their half-time between the office and the bed is overcrowded…
“Can you pass a students fare from here Brother”
He reaches the money with his arms stretched from labour.
Hand to hand a lira and 75 kuruş travels, the twenty-five kuruş that comes back around matters.
A youngster is sleep, a bread on her bosom.
In these waters she is not confined to a home. Late comers eat dinner cold and lonely. Biting the silence so that the homely crowd does not wake.”
About the author:Born in Adana, Çukurova in 1986. She completed her first and middle school education in this city. She graduated from Çukurova University Science/Literature Faculty, Turkish Language and Literature department in 2012. IN 2014, she was assigned as a Literature Teacher to a vocational high school. She was recently and unjustly discharged from this institution she worked in for over two years due to a statutory decree imposed as part of the state of emergency. She is still waiting for being remitted and assigned back to her position.
Her works have been published in literary magazines such as Mey’us Fanzin, Bezuvar, Akatalpa, Tmolos and Kasabadan Esinti.
Usame Yordem – Rağmen Yaşamak / To Live Despite
“This is a named tragedy.
Man is a draft, by night
By daytime,
However he is a darkened and tall father
Reaching his palms wide to daylight
I’m afraid I’m blind!
This where I start, to love, by rubbing pain into suffering.
Frankly,
-I feel like shouting I was a supposition!-
I was busy changing caves, with my crust, my skin..
I was loosing you until just a moment ago.
Alas my darling fellow!
My dear, my dearest eyes
Ah my dear organ!”
About the author:Born in 1996 and still growing. After a mystical childhood, he graduated from Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Psychological Consultancy and Guidance department. His works often take the form of poetry, essays and stories. In 2016, he recieve a special mention at Eskişehir, thereby publishing his first work “A Symphony of Solitude” by Düzyazı Publishing House. Later, as a columnist for Ereğli News and a young poet, he has been part of such publications as Bir Megolomanyak, Kirpi,Gece, İndigo, Seyyar Edebiyat, Aylak Karga, Porsuk, and Sanrı. In 2018, his book titled “Otogarafobi” was published by Kaos Çocuk Parkı publishers. He continues to write and develop himself.
Uğur Akkaş – Bir Zamanlar İstanbul’da / Once Upon a Tıme in İstanbul
“I hear seagulls screaming in the sky above,
Their screeches reach my ears; for simit****,
Same goes with people recently
-for it now costs more than bread-
They scream at one another…
“Well,” we say, “what a time to be living through”
Laughing at our state to be cried after .
What sort of time
Are we
Living through”
About the author: I was born in 8th of May 1991 in Gebze, originally from Sivas. I travel between Istanbul, Silivri and Balıkesir of recent. So far my writing in the form of poetry, short stories and essays has been published in such arts, culture and literature magazines as, Yeni e. (27.) Distopya (3.),İzlekler(4.5. 6.), Çuval (2.), Alamet(2.), Edebiyatist(20,21), Zıvana(4.), Düşünce(1.2.3.), Yelkensiz(22.), Yol(2,3,4), Keşke(27.), Mâsiva(9,10), Sinada(17.), Bulanık(1,2,3), Heybedar(7.) Alongside these, my poetry book which I’ve included the image of, titled “More Than A Word: “A Lunatics Tirade” was published by Düşülke publishing. My studies are ongoing at Balıkesir University Tourism Faculty, 4th grade.
