Last week saw Canakkale’s 1st International Book Fair, held in the Megaron Conference centre in the Kolin Hotel. The book fair consisted of one book shop from downtown, a few publishers, foundations and local authors. On the day I visited the international was provided by a stand apparently run by the Cuban tourist board (there was no one on the stand to ask). Still it’s a start and hopefully next year will see a bigger and better book fair.
From the 17th to the 25th November there is a most definitely international book fair taking place in Istanbul. In its 31st year, the Istanbul Book Fair is held annually in the TUYAP fair and convention centre in Beylikduzu outside Istanbul. The guest of honour is Gülten Dayıoğlu, a children’s author and the country of honour is the Netherlands. Concurrent with the book fair and also in TUYAP is the Istanbul Art Fair or ArtIst.
With over 600 domestic and international publishers and NGO’s attending the fair is huge. There are talks daily, with several running simultaneously at the weekends. There are dozens and dozens of talks, I’d go to them all but I’ve noted a few that might be of special interest…
17 November Saturday 2012
Forum area (10. Salon)
This first two talks in this segment focus on Turk-Hungarian relationships and writer’s associations in Turkey and China.
Then at 15.15-16.15 there is a panel on
Guest of Honour Presentations in Book Fairs: New Perspectives, New Ideas
Moderator: Onur Bilge Kula (General Directorate of Libraries and Publications)
Speakers: Antonio M. Avila (Liber Book Fair Director), Zhang J. Chen (Beijing Book Fair Director), Amy Webster (London Book Fair Director) Deniz Kavukçuoğlu (Book Fair General Coordinator)
At 16.30-17.30 there is a talk on “Literature in Other Languages”
Speakers: Kader Abdollah, Muhsin Kızılkaya
And at 17.45-18.45 there is a presentation about Turkey and the British Book Market and Turkey as Market Focus at the London Book Fair 2013.
Moderator: Ümit Yaşar Gözüm (National Committee Coordinator)
Speakers: Münir Üstün (Head of Press Publishers Association) Metin Celal (Head of Turkish Publishers Association),Emma House (British Publishers Association)
18 November Sunday 2012
Forum area (10. Salon)
There is a panel at 15.30-16.30 on the role of translation workshops in publishing
Moderator: Saliha Paker (TECÇA Translation Workshop Coordinator)
Speakers: Musa Yaşar Sağlam (TAÇAT Moderator), Sevinç Üçgül (TURUSÇAT Moderator),Rafael Carpintero Ortega (TİSÇAT Moderator), Muhammed Haridi (TÜRAPÇAT Moderator), Bülent Oktay (TÜÇÇAT Moderator), Mehmet Moralı (TÜFÇAT Moderator), Esin Karaman (TEDA manager),Haitham Al Nahi (Arap translators organisation)
19 November Monday 2012
Forum area (10. Salon)
At 15.45-16.45 there is a panel on “International Translation Funds
Moderator: Oktay Saydam (Department Head, General Directorate of Libraries and Publications)
Speakers: Alexandra Büchler (Literature Across Frontiers) Mireille Berman (Dutch Literature Foundation), Sinead Mac Aodha (Ireland Literature Exchange), Sioned Puw Rowlands (Welsh Literature Abroad)
I don’t think I’ll be able to make it to the book fair but if anyone does I’d be delighted if you could share your experiences below…