Professor Özlem Berk Albachten

Turkish Literature in English: Mapping Translation in the British Publishing Archives (1945-1975)

This project examines the dissemination of Turkish literature in translation in the British book market from 1945 to the mid-Seventies. Through an evaluation of the business correspondence between Turkish and British publishers preserved at the University of Reading’s Special Collections, and focussing in particular on leading firms such as Allen & Unwin, Heinemann, and Jonathan Cape, I will identify the selection criteria, translation policies, and business considerations utilised by these firms in the assessment of Turkish works. I will also explore the documents related to the English translation of Nazım Hikmet’s poetry by Taner Baybars, published by Cape in 1967, and held in the Taner Baybars Collection, also at Reading. This study will allow me to combine a micro-historical perspective with the inter-firm and transnational approach. I will also forge a partnership with the Centre for Book Cultures and Publishing focussed on digital humanities approaches to enhance archive accessibility.