The Istanbul Review

The Istanbul Review

The Istanbul Review creates a platform for dialogue between authors, new and established, and readers. It gives writers an opportunity to talk about their craft, showcase new work and discuss the philosophical implications of literature and its place in modern society, while creating a living history of 21st century literature.

The Istanbul Review was founded in January 2011 while Hande Zapsu Watt and I were PhD students in creative writing. We discovered that Istanbul, for such a massive and growing city and literary landscape, did not have a printed literary journal.

The Istanbul Review began with a simple wish: to bring together writers, critics and those influential people from other walks of life whose lives have been changed by literature and who in turn change the world.  The journal exists to bridge gaps, to cross borders and to be a platform for world literature.

We published big name voices next to newcomers. Including interviews with and original works from:

There were five issues of the review before we closed shop. The State of Literature, The Screen of Literature, Red, War Words One, and Royal Mile.