The Istanbul Literature Festival opens with ‘Are Children First?’

18th ITEF – ISTANBUL INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE FESTIVAL

Literature Garden

14 June 2026

Susanne Gervay and Markus Zusak have had the opportunity of being invited to speak at the ITEF. After seventeen years filled with talks, events, workshops, and having welcomed 636 authors from all around the world, ITEF 2026 will meet with readers on 14th June Sunday at KalemHouse in Gacık Village, Yalova, under the theme “Literature Garden.”

The 18th ITEF stage will have Ayşe Burçak, Bahar Albayrak, Başak Sayan, Cem Erciyes, Hafize Çınar Güner, Mehmet Mollaosmanoğlu, Merve Diler, Nermin Mollaoğlu, Oya Baydar, Saadet Özen, Serda Kranda Kapucuoğlu, Simge Konu, and Tiemen Hiemstra.

Over the past two years, our festival themes have taken the form of questions. At ITEF 2024, we invited participants to reflect on “What Is Your Story?”, while at ITEF 2025 we explored “What Is Literature For?” This year, alongside changes to the festival format, we are also renewing our approach to the festival theme.

Due to current economic conditions, we have had to reshape our long-standing festival structure consisting of an opening programme followed by four days of events. During this challenging decision-making process, we chose not to bring an end to a festival tradition that has continued uninterrupted for seventeen years. Instead, we decided to move forward with a more sustainable model.

This year, ITEF will take place for one day only at KalemHouse under the theme “Literature Garden.” Although the duration of the festival has been shortened, our enthusiasm remains as strong as ever. Through a carefully prepared programme of talks, events, and workshops, we aim to preserve the vibrant atmosphere that ITEF has created over the years and offer participants an inspiring and enriching festival experience.

This year, ITEF will begin with children’s literature. Authors Hafize Çınar Güner and Simge Konu will meet parents for the discussion “Are Children First?”, exploring the importance of children’s literature and what should be considered when selecting books for young readers. The focus will then shift to adult literature, as Cem Erciyes, Publishing Director at Doğan Publishing, and Saadet Özen, Publishing Director at Everest Publications, discuss reading habits and the reasons behind declining readership in the session “Are We Reading?”

Known for her short stories, Ayşe Burçak will join Merve Diler for “What Role Does the Short Story Have in The Publishing Industry?”, a conversation about Burçak’s book Love and Ghosts and the place of contemporary short fiction in Turkish literature. Mehmet Mollaosmanoğlu, accompanied by Nermin Mollaoğlu, will discuss his latest book The Deadly Baobab in the session “Is It Difficult to Write from Afar?”

In “What If Reality Is Far More Distant Than We Think?” Başak Sayan will invite audiences to explore the relationship between reality and the unknown. Our Dutch guest author Tiemen Hiemstra, joined by editor Serda Kranda Kapucuoğlu, will discuss his novel W. in the programme “Who Is Lost, Who Remains?”

The festival will conclude with “Whose Memory Does the Past Live in?”, featuring Oya Baydar in conversation with Bahar Albayrak.

We would like to thank the Consulate General of the Netherlands for its support of the festival and Gökçe Akgül, the illustrator of our festival poster.

For the full programme and further details, please visit our website and social media channels. All events are free of charge and open to everyone.

KalemHouse: İnönü Caddesi No:54, Gacık Village, 77600 Çiftlikköy, Yalova, Turkey