Cultural Canon Translation
Project Overview
Turkey and the United States (1826-1980)
This long-term initiative hosted by the Kenan Center for Turkish Cultural Studies seeks to develop a comparative intellectual canon between Turkey and the United States by translating and contextualizing literary, philosophical, and cultural texts from both traditions. Focusing on the period between 1826 and 1980—from the Tanzimat reforms to the post-Cold War era—the project explores how each society negotiated questions of modernity, reform, identity, gender, and spirituality during moments of national transformation.
By placing Ottoman and Turkish writers such as Namık Kemal, Fatma Aliye, Halide Edib, and Safiye Erol in conversation with their American counterparts—Frederick Douglass, Jane Addams, Langston Hughes, and Audre Lorde—the project reveals a textured landscape of shared anxieties and divergent paths in the making of cultural modernities.
Project Objectives
- Translate historically significant but underrepresented Turkish texts into English
- Build a comparative canon of American and Turkish works around shared themes
- Publish annotated bilingual editions with critical introductions
- Organize public-facing events, lectures, and reading groups
- Facilitate cross-cultural academic exchange through university partnerships
- Engage broader publics in dialogue around national identity, literature, and reform
Key Themes and Historical Frames
Turkey (1826-1980)
- Tanzimat & Young Ottomans
- Late Ottoman Intellectual Movements
- Early Republican Nation-Building
- Post-War Sufi Revival & Inner Ethics
United States (1820s-1980s)
- Antebellum, Abolition, Women's Rights
- Progressive Era & WWI
- Interwar American Modernism
- Cold War, Civil Rights, Counterculture
Intersecting Themes
- Reform, emancipation, national becoming
- Industrial modernity, pragmatism
- Cultural identity, literary expression
- Spirituality, ethics, dissent, gender
Team and Collaborators
Project Director: Prof. Dr. Emine Yeniterzi
Researchers: Dr. Arzu Eylül Yalçınkaya, Adile Sedef Ateş
Host Institution: The Kenan Center for Turkish Cultural Studies
Partner Organizations: Turcha (Turkish Cultural Heritage Association), The Kenan Foundation
Planned Outputs and Activities
- English-language translations of selected Turkish texts from 1826-1980
- Annotated critical editions with literary and historical introductions
- Public workshops, lectures, and collaborative symposia
- International partnerships with publishers, libraries, and cultural centers
- Development of a digital repository and academic reading series