Nefise Kahraman on bringing overlooked Turkish classics to new readers
October 13, 2026
Turkey Book Talk #280 – Nefise Kahraman discusses Translation Attached, which brings lesser known Ottoman and Turkish literary gems to an English-reading audience.
The conversation also addresses Translation Attached’s seventh book, “Beneath the Handkerchief, and Other Tales”, a volume of 25 humorous and socially observant short stories by the late author and diplomat Memduh Sevket Esendal (1883-1952). Translated by Etkin Hanson, it is the first selection of Esendal’s work to appear in English and gives readers a flavour of a distinctive voice from 20th century Turkish letters.
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