The Istanbul International Literature Festival Brings the Question of “What is Literature for?” to the Agenda in its 17th Year.
The Istanbul International Literature Festival (ITEF) is preparing to bring literature lovers together for the 17th time this year. The festival, which will be held between May 28 and June 1, 2025, will open the individual and social functions of literature to discussion under the title of “What is Literature for?”
Hosting important names from the literary world since 2009, ITEF has brought together 624 writers to date within the scope of the festival. This year, 15 writers, translators and literary professionals from Germany, France, England, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey will be guests of the festival. The festival guests include Ayfer Tunç, Büşra Naz Fırat, Dinçer Güçyeter, Ertuğ Uçar, Ezgi Tanergeç, Gordana Jović-Stojkovska, Ivan Antonovski, Kerry Drewery, Natasha Avramovska, Neva Altaj, Olga Martynova, Tarık Tufan, Véronique Maciejak, Žarko Kujundjiski and Živko Grozdanoski.
The festival team prioritizes both focusing on current issues and creating original patterns when determining a theme. In its early years, ITEF preferred the theme of “City and …” and adopted the format of “… Literature” as of 2019. Last year, it focused on asking questions by initiating a new direction with the theme of “What is Your Story?”. This year, it continues this approach and aims to open up a collective space of thought regarding the meaning and impact of literature with the question of “What is Literature for?”
Throughout the festival, talks and panels will be held on fundamental questions such as the reason for literature’s existence, the motivation of writers to write, and the reasons why readers turn to literature. Dimensions such as literature’s power to bring people together, its capacity to offer different perspectives, and its effect of expanding the imagination will be questioned together with the participants.
The poster, which is the visual face of the festival, was prepared with the drawing of artist Esra İlter Demirbilek. The idea that literature can offer people direction, shelter, and hope like a sailboat in the turbulent sea of life inspired the poster design.
ITEF 2025 is supported by the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Goethe Institut Istanbul, Tarabya Cultural Academy, North Macedonia Cultural Center, Artemis Publications, Yan Pasaj Publishing House, Olimpos Publishing Group, and Timaş Publications. The festival team also extends its thanks to media members who contribute to the promotion of books and popularize literature, and all stakeholders who make efforts in this field on social media.
As every year, ITEF continues to celebrate the inspiring power of literature and bring together different cultures on the same stage.
