As part of the German Goethe Institute culture project “European Literature Goes to Turkey/Turkish Literature Goes to Europe,” an event kicks off today at Ankara University’s faculty of language, history and geography.

Set to run through Nov. 14, the event will feature literature readings and talks by such internationally acclaimed authors as Jutta Richter, Mircea Cartarescu and Christoph Ransmayr. Admission for the events is free of charge.

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Despite Turkey being among the countries whose populations read the least number of books in a year, some promising campaigns have prevailed in the country.

The “I love reading” campaign at İstanbul’s Bağcılar Atatürk Elementary School, which has been categorized by the European Union as a Transnational Young Entrepreneurship Project, could be seen as a step in the right direction to remedy people’s lack of interest in books.

In the “I love reading” campaign, aiming to get students to enjoy reading books, students come together with a famous Turkish author once every month after reading one of his or her books.

So far, Selim İleri, Sevinç Çokum, Ahmet Ümit, Sunay Akın, Nalan Barbarosoğlu, Ali Çolak, Ayşe Kulin, H. Salih Zengin, Haydar Ergülen, A. Ali Ural, Cemil Kavukçu, Ömer Erdem, Fatih Erdoğan and Beşir Ayvazoğlu have visited the school and had conversations with the students on their books to create awareness of reading and literature. In addition to the authors, renowned journalists Uğur Dündar, Banu Güven, Cem Erciyes, Abdullah Kılıç and Ahu Tanrıkulu also visited the school under the program.

After this campaign had been included among projects funded by the EU, Sweden was selected as the project’s partner. The reason behind choosing Sweden is its prominent place in the field of children’s literature.

The students were advised to read books by Swedish authors Ingelin Angerborn and Ulf Nilsson, who came to Turkey and talked to the students last month. Furthermore, 10 children living in the suburbs of Sweden will have the opportunity to meet famous Turkish authors in the campaign.

For the project, a book called “I Love Reading” has been put together. It includes works by the authors participating in the project and was handed out to the Swedish students in Stockholm. Ten of the most successful students who participated in the project came to İstanbul with two teachers to join the student-author meetings in Bağcılar. They met with the writers whose books they had read and asked them some questions on their books. In addition to meeting the authors, the Swedish students also visited sights in İstanbul and celebrated Republic Day on Oct. 29 with their new friends from Bağcılar Atatürk Elementary School. As a result, a cultural bridge has been built between Stockholm’s suburbs and İstanbul’s Bağcılar district.

Bağcılar Atatürk Elementary School has not had an excellent past. The school was founded in 1975 with three classes and seven teachers but was not able to meet the needs of Bağcılar’s ever-growing migrant population. After relocating to a bigger, new building in 1993, the elementary school was badly damaged by the Marmara earthquake in 1999 and was demolished in 2005, when it was understood that the school could not be retrofitted. It was rebuilt in 2006. However, the school building still has problems as it was designed without taking the nearby river into account. The conference hall which has been used in the project was flooded after a heavy rain.

After these unfortunate events, the school’s destiny changed with the appointment of Turkish teacher Yusuf Çopur two years ago. Putting the project into practice with his wife, Kezban Çopur, who also teaches Turkish, the director of the school, Gencer Doğutürk, and the Bağcılar district education chief, Kadir Kuş, Yusuf Çopur has increased the rate of book reading among the school’s students from 10 percent to 87 percent. After the project kicked off, every student in the school read 37 different books in 13 months.

“Bağcılar can be described as one of the suburbs of İstanbul that receives increasing numbers of migrants every year. The socioeconomic status of the students’ families is below the average in Turkey. Developing a love of literature and reading books is, I think, the best way to protect students whose circumstances leave them more vulnerable to picking up bad habits like using heroin and alcohol and committing crimes,” said Çopur. His slogan is “One who is friends with books is an enemy of violence.” This month’s author is Feyza Hepçilingirler, and the teacher’s dream is to host internationally popular Turkish author Yaşar Kemal in the project.

Turkish writers Ali Çolak, Selim İleri and Ahmet Ümit (L to R) participate in a panel discussion with Turkish and Swedish students at the Bağcılar Atatürk Elementary School as part of the EU-funded “I love reading” campaign.

What Swedish students say

Simona Araya: Before my visit to Turkey, I supposed that I was going to a country that had low quality roads, thus, my family was also concerned about my visit. It was not easy to convince them. But the time I have spent in Turkey has been the best part of my life.

Sandra Petterson: It is really a great feeling to meet with an author whose book I have read. It is the first time that I have met an author and had my book signed. I like Selim İleri’s “Gelinlik Kız” (Girl to become a bride), Cemil Kavukçu’s “Ablam” (My elder sister) and Ali Çolak’s “Mavisini Yitirmiş Yaşamak” (A life having lost its blue). I asked the authors what I was wondering about their pieces and shared my opinions with them. Turkey is a country in which very good people live.

Maximillian Wangklev: I experienced the time in Turkey as if I was in a dream. Through the project I have met Turkish author and poets. I appreciated the poems of A. Ali Ural and Haydar Ergülen. After returning to Sweden I will tell people how Turkey is fascinating and beautiful. I have particularly started to be curious about Turkish literature and Turkish poetry.

What authors say

Selim İleri: This project brings hope for a bright future. It is a breath of fresh air that the project has gained an international dimension. Despite my story “Gelinlik Kız” having been included in many anthologies, nobody has ever been able to put elegant questions like these students.

Ahmet Ümit: “I love reading” helps not only Turkish students but also Swedish ones to realize their dreams. The students I met today said it was their first time to come together with a writer. They read passages from “Bab-ı Esrar” (The door of secrets). It is very beautiful that love is the common language of humanity.

Ömer Erdem: I find significant the meeting of the writer and the students who read the books of this writer. Young people who are exposed to books in their early years, I think, become more aware and stronger in life.

Nalan Barbarosoğlu: This project is important as regards helping students to see literature as a part of their life. Both the Turkish students and their Swedish friends prove their love of reading with the deep and skillfully put questions they asked me.

Cemil Kavukçu: The books students are encouraged to read and the interviews with the writers have improved the student’s level of perception. The books I supposed I had written for older readers were examined very carefully by the students, and I felt I was talking to literary critics when I had conversations with the students.

Ali Çolak: I believe this project provides a remarkable contribution to educate the students to become individuals beneficial to society. Swedish students read our books very carefully and took notes the parts they found important.

A. Ali Ural: My experience at Bağcılar school is the biggest compliment in my career as a writer. The students’ interest in poetry affected me. I was impressed when I saw the same level of attention from the Swedish teachers and students. I have never received as many interesting comments on my poems as I did today.

H. Salih Zengin: I have met with students many times, but in this school’s students I observed enormous self confidence and ability for self expression. I think it stems from their reading books and having talks with authors.

Haydar Ergülen: I thank those who realized this project, which brings together a wide range of writers with students curious about literature and Swedish teachers and students with ours under the roof of a love of literature.

Sunay Akın: I will always remember this school. How can I forget these students who love reading so much?

Beşir Ayvazoğlu: “I love reading” is a unique project which prepares students for the future. It is even possible to imagine a generation having gained the reading habit — it’s very exciting. I am very happy to meet these careful little readers.

Fatih Erdoğan: The event is excellent in terms of giving children access to books and their authors. Today we talked about literature, books and life with both Turkish and Swedish students.

Ayşe Kulin: I encountered bright eyes here. I am very pleased to come together with my little readers.

Ingelin Angerborn: A bewitching atmosphere. I had never thought that “Fortune Star” [her book] would be appreciated so much. The students asked very good, smart questions. Their words are bigger than their ages.

Ulf Nilsson: I do not remember any other time when I have kissed so many kids. I hugged all of them. They read my book carefully. I am very happy.