the letter from turkey
 
Turkish P.E.N. Centre and Turkish Authors Association (TAA) propose to promote a worldwide appreciation of the short story genre and its writers at the local, national and international levels; to make short stories written in different languages recited, read and discussed by readers, literary critics, academicians, publishers, editors and translators from different nations cultures, races, ethnic groups and of religious beliefs; to make the short story writers of the world, regardless of race, colour, religion, fame and age, reach out to each other, through activities such as panel discussions, conferences, short story readings and literary sessions once a year, on the same day, in as many countries as possible, at various places (schools, universities, bookstores, libraries, public halls); thus to make each activity to provide a local, national or international forum for the short story writers to meet and freely discuss their work with each other, once a year, on the same day; to celebrate the day on February 14 as "World Short Story Day" annually.

How and where the process which led to "World Short Story Day" started and developed, the basic aims and why should "World Short Story Day" be realized on the 14th of February, can be summarized as follows:

1- The Process Which Led to "World Short Story Day"
"Ankara Short Story Days" which was started in 1997 with the rise of the necessity to develop a dynamic short story medium in Turkey, continued for 6 years in the capital of Turkey, without cease. It became the first established short story festival providing a foundation both to "World Short Story Day" project and to the successive short story reading days performed, in recent years, in many cities in Turkey.

2- The Basic Aims
To enliven the oral literary tradition via short story recitals; to emphasize the relationship between the short story genre and other branches of art and to emphasize the facts that short story is an artistic medium of communication, that it is a voice created for the human being by the human being, that the most successful short stories are written at times and places where disturbing and painful social and political crisis have arisen, and that short story is but the cry of the lonely and the marginal.

3- Why Should the "World Short Story Day" Be on February 14
"World Short Story Day" on which all these activities contributing to and taking their source from art, literature, philosophy, adventures, human soul, living styles and forms of thinking will be performed, symbolize peace, friendship and sharing. February 14 is a day that emphasizes a kind of communication full of love and peace existing between the short story writer and the work of art he produces, the reader and the short story writer himself. Each story is but a flow of emotions, an exciting new adventure for its writer. It also highlights the fact that such a communication exists among individuals of all ages and occupations who are ready to share with one another, every story written.

Aysu ERDEN

WSSD Coordinator
The Turkish P.E.N. Centre - member
 
In recent years, short story has occupied an important place in our lives. What, in fact, happened, and what are the exact reasons for the short story to become so influentive and popular in our literature, in our culture and in our daily life? The "Short Story Days" started as a literary activity in Ankara, and extanded its boarders to the south of Turkey, to Antalya, from Antalya to Cyprus and from Cyprus to Ýzmir. I believe the answers to the above questions can be found in our rich short story tradition, in the short story journals, as well as in the publishing houses which prefer to publish more and more story books and in the literary activities performed by our friends and colleagues who have given great importance the development of the short story genre in our literature. And I am sure it is possible to give a series of other reasons as well.

"Ankara Short Story Days" is becoming more and more influentive in Turkey and is developing with the contributions of the Democratic Community Organizations, culture and art centers, men of literature and of the readers. These literary activities are being repeated not only in Ankara, but also in many other cities in Turkey such as Antalya, Adana, Izmir, Istanbul and Bursa.

When "Düsler ve Öyküler" (The Dreams and the Short Stories) as a monthly short story journal appeared for the first time and when the preparation for "The 1st Ankara Short Story Days" were being made in 1997, we declared that we were having the dreams of an active, dynamic and lively medium for the short story genre in Turkey.

Why shouldn't this dream of ours carry us to further dreams? Why shouldn't people organize "Short Story days" in all those places where languages other than Turkish is are spoken and written? Why shouldn't St. Valentine's Day be celebrated as the "World Short Story Day"?

I believe the day has come "World Short Story Day" on the 14th of February.

Turkish Authors Association (TAA), on the 10th anniversary of its foundation is now proposing February 14 to be accepted and celebrated as "World Short Story Day". Turkish Authors Association (TAA) is proposing to celebrate "World Short Story Day" in the form of a series of literary activities to be held, every year on the same day, spreading over a vaste geographical area including Turkey, Europe, Asia and the other parts of the world so as to bring together the short story writers from different countries.

The first step that we have taken for this activity to be celebrated is by the accompaniment of a quotation taken from one of our eminent short story writers Sait Faik : "The beginning of everything is but loving another person"

We hope to welcome you in Ankara on the 14th of February in 2003 celebrating "World Short Story Day"

Ozcan KARABULUT

Turkish Authors Association (TAA) - President