At the event, the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism set up a booth which showcased Turkish books
The Turkiye Tourism Board made its debut participation in the 31st edition of the World Book Fair, New Delhi held at Pragati Maidan from February 25 to March 5, 2023. The event witnessed the presence of several Turkish dignitaries, authors, and publishers who flew in from the country especially to attend the 9-day mega fair. The main focus of participating in this fair was to further promote cultural exchange between Turkiye and India and strengthen communication with Indian publishing houses.
At the event, the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism set up a booth which showcased Turkish books bound to captivate book lovers’ minds. The display included reads covering a wide array of topics such as art and culture, history, personalities and biographies, land and people, religion, and children’s literature, among others. Visitors were given access to the most popular and widely-read books by popular Turkish authors such as Orhan Pamuk, Yasar Kemal, Nazım Hikmet, İskender Pala and Zulfu Livaneli. In addition to that 5 different publication houses and 1 literacy agency participated in the fair under Turkish Booth.
A key highlight of the event was the unveiling of a book authored by the Turkish Ambassador, H.E. Firat Sunel, titled, “Salkim Sögutlerin Gölgesinde,” during a panel discussion on ‘Turkish literature in India’. ‘Salkim Sögutlerin Gölgesinde,’ published in 2011, loosely translates to “In the Shadow of the Willows,” and will be available for Indian readers in several languages starting with Malayalam. The novel is based on historical fiction in the aftermath of the World Wars.
Addressing at the event, H.E. Firat Sunel said, “We would like to promote Turkish culture in India as we believe Indian and Turkish cultures are extremely similar on multiple fronts and it is due to this, that Turkish dramas and films are popular among Indian viewers.”
The Ambassador added, “The Turkish Cultural Ministry frequently receives inquiries from Indian publishers on the translation programme for Turkish Books. With this initiative, we aim to inform Indian publishers about the Translation and Publication Grant Programme of Turkiye (TEDA). We are looking forward to more such exciting collaborative opportunities in the future.”
