As İlkyaz, we work to introduce three young writers every issue.We translate these works, which are made up of a short stories or poems, into English and endeavour to introduce them to readers outside of Turkey. This exchange, 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.
Before the COVID pandemic hit, we also worked to translate our young writers works into a third language, by establishing collaborations with PEN centre’s all over the world. 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 Catalan promoted our writers for June to their own members and audience. For July our partnership reached out to Russia, in collaboration with PEN Moscow Centre! August followed with a collaboration with PEN Canada, September with PEN Venezuela, October with Croatian PEN, and November with PEN Wales/Cymru.For our December writings our partner was Danish PEN, for the month of January it was Belarusian PEN.
We apologise that due to the global effect coronavirus outbreak we have been unable to find more PEN Centre’s to collaborate with. Thus, after ensuring publishing for our writers in 14 countries, able to meet readers in their respective languages, we are moving to explore different avenues of collaboration with PEN’s global network such as joint online events and writing collaborations.
In the meantime, we will continue to work to get the voices of our young writers amplified beyond Turkey by continuing to translate them to English and distribute among PEN networks.
If you haven’t yet had a chance to read, you can reach the last issue’s writings here.
Don’t forget to check out our writers under the age of 15 in “15-“, our archive of stories from everyday lives in “Human Portraits”, and the collaborative work of young writers and artists at “Literature +!
This month’s recommendations for young writers comes from renown Turkish writer Faruk Duman!
You can also follow our collective, collaborative music playlist on Spotify!
Tuğçe Nur İmrat – Sen Gailesi / The Worry of You
Wherever one places pain, it’s not where it stays.
Even if the earth and sky breaks apart,
You are only as much as where you lean on, in an instance.
About the author:
Born in June 6 1998 in Adana. She is currently studying at Eskişehir Anadolu University. She started writing poetry and reading at an early age of childhood. She was published in various magazines, fanzines and platforms. She mostly tends to work with poetry and essays.
Instagram:/imrattugce
Twitter:/tnimrat
Yunus Karakoyun – MÜBALAĞA BİR ŞİİRİN GİRİŞ/GAH MAKAMIDIR / The Introductory Authority of An Hyperbolic Poem
None of this was hyperbole
It is what immigrated from the eyes
It is a poem’s introductory authority
I climb up thirty three steps of stairs everyday
A typewriters clatter, a cursory fatigue
Waits on hand and footAbout the author: Born in 20.06.1988 in Mardin’s Nusaybin town, he is a graduate of Ardahan University Political Science and Public Policy. His poems have been published in magazines such as Varlık, Yaba, Türk Dili, Temren, Esinti,Türk Edebiyatı, Şiirden, Mavi Yeşil, Eliz, Lirik, Şehir, Edebiyat Ortamı, Şarkı, Şiiri Özlüyorum, Barbarları Beklerken, Sarmal Çevrim, Karatahta, Deliler Teknesi, Sin Edebiyat, Caz kedisi, Berfin Bahar, Yaşam Sanat, Lacivert, Rıhtım ve Kurşun Kalem
Murat Kaya – Çöl Mektubu / Desert Letter
You write a letter years ago to whom you don’t know
Then you throw it beyond the dimension of lived experience,
And you begin to distance from that letter
About the author:I was born in Eskişehir on 5 July 1995, as Aziz Nesin passed away. Besides my interest in literature, I am a mechanical engineer. I live in Europe on duty. I am fluent in Spanish and English. I can describe myself as a wanderer who travels, an entrepreneur and a person who is eager to get to know new people, new cities, experiences, perspectives and laughters. My faith in writing since I was a little kid encouraged me to protect my childish soul and pushed me to write about my feelings. When I took off to the Sahara Desert to get to know myself, a book appeared. Çöl Mektubu, my first book… My dream is to be one of the influencer writers of the 21st century.
