Happy Three Year Anniversary to the Istanbul Literary Review!

Wow! Congratulations Etkin, Guluzar, Halime, Miles, ILR Staff, and to all the contributors over the years.  This is really wonderful!  Most magazines don't last this long so it is great to see this magazine going strong. The Istanbul Literary Review brings together writing from so many countries in its issues.  It is truly wonderful to read.  I am having the time of my life reading such strong work as well as Miles.

In this issue, we have writers from the USA, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Israel, Poland, Kosovo, and some writers who are originally from Turkey, but now live in the USA.

Congratulations to Guluzar.  She gave birth to a baby girl this summer named Rana.  All of us are so happy for her and her family.

Congratulations to Djelloul Marbrook, a friend and writing contributor of the Istanbul Literary Review, on his new book called Far From Algiers.  This book won the Stan and Tom Wick Poetry Prize (Kent State University) in 2007.  The book is just amazing.  I plan on reviewing it for the next issue of ILR.

Another friend and regular writing contributor to the ILR magazine, Denis Emorine, will be visiting the USA from France in October for the first time.  Denis is scheduled to read at the KGB Bar in NYC for Cervena Barva Press. It is a celebration of his two new books published by the press.  From NYC, he’ll be coming back to Boston staying with me for a few days.

How exciting this news is about Djelloul and Denis.

Last spring, ILR had a reading in New York City and in New Jersey.  Mike Broemmel, ILR Staff, has talked of scheduling one in the future in Denver, Colorado. 

I hope all of you had a great summer and got some reading and writing done!

Enjoy this issue!  I hope you like it!

Peace to this fragile world of ours.