New Literary Magazine 'ArtAnlam' Challenges Populist Trends

In a landscape increasingly dominated by populist trends, a new literary magazine named 'ArtAnlam' has emerged, aiming to cultivate a more discerning and engaged readership. The publication seeks to counter the prevailing tide of magazines that prioritize commercial appeal and readily accessible content over substantive literary exploration.

“

Necati, he waited with curiosity for fifteen days, twenty days, perhaps a month. His poems were not being published in Varlık magazine. One day he came to me, desperate, even sad: 'Didn't I tell you? Mr. Yaşar Nabi didn't like my poems. At least let me go and get my notebook back,' he was saying. I calmed him down. 'Wait a little longer, we waited a long time,' I said. He fell silent. He began to wait for the happy day his first poem would be published, with deep resignation.

The launch of 'ArtAnlam' arrives at a time when literary publishing in Turkey has undergone significant transformation. Since the mid-1990s, and particularly after 2010, many periodicals have converged in content, often featuring well-known personalities as a primary draw. This shift has led to a focus on "celebrity culture" within literary circles, where advertising plays a substantial role, reflecting a consumer-driven ideology.

The magazine's founders express a desire to move away from the "something for everyone" approach that characterizes many contemporary publications. They aim to foster a space where "thinking like a writer," as described by poet Cevat Çankırı, is encouraged, a practice that has become increasingly rare. The decline of a model where intellectuals take responsibility for shaping discourse is also noted as a contributing factor to this shift.

“

In recent years, among young people interested in literature, the method of interpreting writings through magazines, getting to know the writer/poet, and maintaining curiosity and observation has become blocked.

'ArtAnlam' is presented as a collaborative endeavor, supported by various individuals including Hürriyet Yaşar, Mehmet S. Aman, Ekin Güneş Saygılı, Ender Özer, Erdi Ülküseven, Ergün Doğan, M. Bahadır Deniz, and Tuğçe Hitay. This collective effort signifies a commitment to reviving a more critical and meaningful engagement with literature, offering an alternative to the prevailing popular and commercialized trends in the Turkish publishing scene.

“

The proposal 'There is something for everyone in our magazine' turned into a publishing line with a wide spectrum; thus, the reader was given the feeling of choosing freely.