Turkey’s efforts to make its culture, art and literature known internationally after its successful guest of honour performance at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2008 have been positively rewarded. To ensure the long-lasting effect of this success, the Turkish National Organizing Committee for International Book Fairs has once more produced a scintillating programme of events for 2012. The Committee was established under the coordination of the General Directorate for Libraries and Publications of Turkey’s Ministry for Culture and Tourism, in collaboration with representatives from more than 20 professional organizations, such as the Turkish Publisher’s Association, the Association of Press and Publication, the Writers’ Syndicate of Turkey and the Writers’ Union of Turkey.

The Turkish Collective Stand covers an impressive area of 350 m² whereby 302 m² of this space is to be found in Hall 5.1. A972-B972-C972 and 48 m² make up the Children’s Book Section found in Hall 3.0 K388. Around 3,000 publications from 200 publishers will be exhibited. At the Turkish Collective Stand, Hall 5.1, 21 publishers will be represented and at the Children’s Book Stand in Hall 3.0 eight children’s book publishers will showcase their works. This space will provide an ideal environment for professionals to discuss and negotiate foreign and translation rights.

This year seven foreign rights agencies will be in attendance. These agencies act as brokers between Turkish writers, publishers and translators and their counterparts abroad. Therefore they greatly contribute to the dissemination of Turkish literature. In this context, the translation subvention programme, TEDA, undertakes an important role in making Turkish literature available to a global readership (www.tedaproject.com).

The programme prepared by the Turkish National Organizing Committee covers five events comprising panels, interviews and a cookery show. An exhibition completes the programme. As in the previous years, the Committee supports the events organized by the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) which successfully presents its cultural and artistic projects at international fairs. The Istanbul Chamber of Commerce will showcase its publications as well as simultaneously foster its members’ activities in a space measuring 100 m².

In the TEDA Section a sample of book covers will be exhibited that will provide an insight into books which have been translated and published since the early beginnings of the project. Many of these publications will also be showcased in this section. This framework will set the scene for encounters with foreign publishers interested in the translation and publication of Turkish literature.

Expert as well as lay visitors to the Frankfurt Book Fair 2012 will also have access to catalogues on writers, publishers and illustrators of children’s literature, in addition to a number of books, brochures and other insightful material relating to culture, art, literature and the publishing sector in Turkey.