STORY: Growing translation efforts fuel popularity of Chinese literature in Türkiye
SHOOTING TIME: April 15, 2024
DATELINE: April 19, 2024
LENGTH: 00:00:50
LOCATION: ISTANBUL, Türkiye
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the seminar themed around "Translation in Literature and Mutual Learning."
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): HALUK HEPKON, Head of Kirmizi Kedi Publishing House
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): HALUK HEPKON, Head of Kirmizi Kedi Publishing House
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Turkish): AYSEL OZMEN, Employee at Kirmizi Kedi Publishing House

STORYLINE:

In a cozy hall at a publishing house in Istanbul, Türkiye's cultural hub, poets and writers from both China and Türkiye were gathering for a discussion themed around "Translation in Literature and Mutual Learning."

The seminar, organized by Kirmizi Kedi Publishing House on Monday, was a testament to the growing enthusiasm of Turks for Chinese literature, a trend that has seen a significant rise in recent years with the translation of more Chinese books into Turkish.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): HALUK HEPKON, Head of Kirmizi Kedi Publishing House
"China represents a profound civilization and a sprawling cultural nexus. Thus, it captivated our keen interest."

Haluk Hepkon, head of Kirmizi Kedi, told Xinhua that the active participation of Turkish publishers in China's book fairs and various cultural events has further bolstered the ties between the two countries.

As a result of these endeavors, in January, Kirmizi Kedi opened an office within the World Sinology Center in Qingdao, Shandong Province, becoming the first Turkish publisher with an office in China, he said.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): HALUK HEPKON, Head of Kirmizi Kedi Publishing House
"In the upcoming period, we will continue to undertake numerous translation activities from Chinese, such as novels and beyond, such as books on the Belt and Road Initiative."

Founded in 2010, Kirmizi Kedi, or Red Cat in English, owns 16 stores across Türkiye.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Turkish): AYSEL OZMEN, Employee at Kirmizi Kedi Publishing House
"Of course, our aspiration, as a publishing house, is to introduce more Chinese literature writers to Türkiye. Perhaps in the future, we aim to reciprocate by translating Turkish authors into Chinese."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Istanbul, Türkiye.
(XHTV)