Agents of circulation: translating, publishing, and reading Turkish literature in the Anglosphere

Berk Albachten, Ö. and La Penna, D. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4197-0041 (2026) Agents of circulation: translating, publishing, and reading Turkish literature in the Anglosphere. Middle Eastern Literatures, 28 (2). pp. 1-18. ISSN 1475-262X doi: 10.1080/1475262X.2026.2680884

Abstract/Summary

This introductory article to the special issue Translating and Publishing Turkish Literature in the Anglosphere examines the conditions under which Turkish literature enters, circulates within, and is received by the English-speaking world. Situating translation within the asymmetrical structures of the global literary system, the article explores how publishers, translators, editors, literary agents, cultural institutions, and market forces shape the selection, presentation, and interpretation of Turkish texts in the Anglosphere. It highlights the growing visibility of Turkish literature in English translation, including the increased representation of women writers and the diversification of genres and voices. Drawing on frameworks from world literature, translation studies, feminist theory, and the sociology of cultural production, the introduction maps the thematic and methodological concerns of the issue's contributions.