The Istanbul Tanpınar Literature Festival was established in 2009 as a platform for Turkish authors and publishers. It was named after Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar, a renowned Turkish poet, novelist, essayist and scholar who is widely regarded as one of the leading representatives of modernism in Turkish literature.
ITEF aims to bring together book industry professionals from around the world for a series of inspirational encounters, giving them an opportunity to discuss relevant issues, exchange ideas and experiences, and make new business connections. For Turkish authors, the festival is a great chance to promote their works and maybe get them translated into foreign languages.
ITEF offers a six-day program filled with panels, workshops, seminars, round tables, literary readings, concerts, book signings, and other exciting events and activities aimed at both industry professionals and the general public, including children and young people. The program features more than 80 free events that are open to the general public and cover a wide range of topics. Since its inception, the festival has hosted 476 authors from 48 countries and 124 literature professionals from 32 countries (as of 2018).
The host city of ITEF is Istanbul, and each edition of the festival since the very first one has had a theme reflecting its ties to Istanbul’s rich heritage and urban culture in general. Past themes have included City and Time, City and Human, City and Food, City and Fear, City and Game, City and Journey, and more.
Alongside the main events, ITEF hosts an annual fellowship program. Founded in 2011, it is an international platform for local authors and publishers to collaborate with foreign writers, translators, editors and publishers. Its main goals are to promote Turkish literature and publishing and to foster long-term professional relationships between Turkish and international industry professionals.
In 2020, the event was held online due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Photo: ITEF - Istanbul Tanpinar Literature Festival
