The Istanbul TÜYAP Book Fair, held between 13 and 21 December, hosted a noteworthy gathering for the literary world this year. The @okuryazarkitaplar community, which exemplifies a strong digital solidarity in the fields of culture, art, and literature, participated in the fair under the leadership of its founder and coordinator Kadir Temür, connecting with readers.
The community, which participated in the fair with 33 authors and numerous works, did not just promote their books; they strengthened the friendships formed around literature through face-to-face meetings. Relationships that began on online platforms turned into handshakes, book signings, and warm conversations at the fair. While authors signed their books at the stand, the intimate atmosphere was complemented by tea chats and homemade treats. Writers from different cities across Turkey experienced the excitement of the fair first-hand, while those who could not attend shared in the excitement by sending their books and following the process remotely.
The Pulse of the Fair Was Kept on Social Media
Throughout the fair, coordinator Kadir Temür conducted one-on-one interviews with participating authors, enabling them to promote their works. The special promotional videos shot for each book served as a permanent digital archive for the authors. The @okuryazarkitaplar team did not limit themselves to their own stand but played an active role throughout the entire fairground. With numerous interviews with authors and over a hundred Instagram live broadcasts, the atmosphere of TÜYAP was brought to social media.
Meaningful Thanks and a Message of Strong Cooperation
One of the highlights of the fair was the live broadcast featuring Kadir Temür and TÜYAP Fair Marketing Manager Gözde Baştımar. During the broadcast, flowers were presented to Baştımar as a token of gratitude for her contribution to promoting the fair. Baştımar expressed her satisfaction with the support of the @okuryazarkitaplar community and stated that they would be delighted to continue this partnership in the coming years.
Creative writing instructor Elif Ece Kırımlı also visited the stand at the weekend, meeting with students, writers and readers. The discussions on literature held by Kırımlı and Temür were followed with interest by social media users.
Extensive Author Line-up, Rich Literary Range
The authors and works featured at the fair offered a wide literary variety, ranging from novels to short stories, children's books to personal development. Among the names within the community, Muhittin Çiftçi (Sessiz Sofra) was at the forefront, and numerous authors producing in different genres met with their readers.
A Shared Vision for the Future
In his assessment at the end of the fair, Kadir Temür thanked the @okuryazarkitaplar family and emphasised the importance of this lasting unity of hearts and production. He stated that the TÜYAP experience served as a guide for taking more conscious steps in future writing endeavours and fair participation.
The @okuryazarkitaplar community bid farewell to TÜYAP with the hope of reuniting at new fairs, with new readers and new stories, through the unifying power of literature.
