📰 What’s New in Ottoman and Turkish Literary Translation
Exciting developments in Ottoman and Turkish literary translation for October 2025!
Out now from Translations Attached Press: One Thousand and One Kisses, translated by Burcu Karahan! Head to Artichoke for a sneak peek and the translator’s note.
First serialized anonymously in 1920s Istanbul, this forgotten gem of late Ottoman fiction is bold, funny, and way ahead of its time. These scandalous, subversive stories celebrate women’s pleasure, freedom, and wit—with no apologies.
Upcoming Event:
At the University of Texas at Austin, Ä°pek Ĺžahinler will host the 26th Meeting of the Ottoman and Turkish Literary Translation Group:
“Wayward Experiments in Writing and Memory: Leyla Erbil’s What Remains — A Conversation with Alev Ersan, Mark Wyers, and Amy Marie Spangler.”
🗓️ October 23, 2025 | 1 PM CST | Zoom
#Translation #OttomanStudies #TurkishLiterature #WorldLiterature #LeylaErbil #RefikHalitKaray #LiteraryTranslation #WomenInTranslation
In Memoriam: Fanny Howe (1940–2025)
In Memoriam: Fanny Howe (1940–2025)
"If someone is alone reading my poems, I hope it would be like reading someone’s notebook. A record. Of a place, beauty, difficulty. A familiar daily struggle. Fanny Howe
Fanny Howe, the acclaimed American poet, novelist, essayist, and educator, passed away on July 9, 2025, at the age of 85. A long-time resident of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Howe leaves behind a profound literary legacy marked by spiritual inquiry, ethical reflection, and a deep engagement with the complexities of human suffering and resilience.
Throughout her distinguished career, Howe authored more than 20 books of poetry and prose. Her work is widely recognized for its lyrical intensity and philosophical depth, often exploring themes of faith, doubt, justice, and the search for meaning in a fractured world. She received many accolades, including the Griffin Poetry Prize and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Howe also served as a professor and mentor to generations of writers. Her influence extended far beyond the United States, resonating with readers and scholars around the world.
For Turkish readers interested in experiencing Howe’s poetic voice, selections from her collection Scattered Light have been beautifully translated into Turkish by Efe Murad under the title Saçılı Işık.
Ghoulyabânî
A classic of Turkish literature, Ghoulyabânî by Hüseyin Rahmi Gürpınar, is now available in English! Translated by Hande Eagle and published by Translation Attached, this haunting and humorous novel is bound to delight English-speaking audiences everywhere.
Click on the Review tab if you'd like to read my thoughts on the book.
If you can read Turkish, you may be interested in reading this interview with translator Hande Eagle about the process of translating Ghoulyabânî .
What’s New or Newsworthy in the World of Ottoman and Turkish Literary Translations?
Welcome to our first blog post! This week we have some resources for anyone interested in modern or contemporary Turkish literature and award for translations from Ottoman to English and into Turkish from any language.
• If you are interested in Modern or Contemporary Turkish literature do give the Literaturca podcast a try and participate in the Turkish Literature in Translation Reading Group
• The Walter Andrews Ottoman to English Translation Award. Visit the American Association of Teachers of Turkic languages website for further details about this award.
• The Talat Sait Halman translation award is open to submission for the translation into Turkish of any literary work published in the preceding year by publishers and translators.