In casting them into English, Walker has paid particular attention to capturing the flavor and excitement of the Turkish telling, while not infringing "on the narrator's right to have the tale recreated as he had told it." ...The Beauty, power, and appeal of the present volume for the general reading public, however, depends largely upon Barbara Walker's own consummate skill as a teller and re-teller of tales and her commitment to conveying as much of the Turkish performance context as possible. ...In a gesture which is perhaps symptomatic of the reasons for this volume's success, [Barbara Walker] recognizes in the Acknowledgments section each and every tale-teller by name--all forty of them, ranging in age from nine to ninety and coming from the many different walks of life, both urban and rural, to be found in twenty out of Turkey's seventy-four provinces from Mugla to Kars and from Istanbul to Diyarbakir. In presenting the works of "all these generous bearers of tradition" to an English-speaking audience, [she] has achieved her aim of opening a small window on the art of the Turkish tale in a volume which stands as a tribute to the art of book making as well. Sarah Moment Atis, Chair, Middle East Studies Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison President, Turkish Studies Association This will stand as a fine, quintessential contribution.... One hears the whispers of the original voices in these versions, all of which are... artful, recast in colloquial rhythms, and couched in a style that conveys the substance, the shape, the spirit, and the sumptuousness or the simplicity of the tale. Talat Sait Halman, Turkey's former Minister of Culture, then Ambassador for Cultural Affairs; now Professor of Near Eastern Languages and Literatures, New York University

In casting them into English, Walker has paid particular attention to capturing the flavor and excitement of the Turkish telling, while not infringing "on the narrator's right to have the tale recreated as he had told it." ...The Beauty, power, and appeal of the present volume for the general reading public, however, depends largely upon Barbara Walker's own consummate skill as a teller and re-teller of tales and her commitment to conveying as much of the Turkish performance context as possible. ...In a gesture which is perhaps symptomatic of the reasons for this volume's success, [Barbara Walker] recognizes in the Acknowledgments section each and every tale-teller by name--all forty of them, ranging in age from nine to ninety and coming from the many different walks of life, both urban and rural, to be found in twenty out of Turkey's seventy-four provinces from Mugla to Kars and from Istanbul to Diyarbakir. In presenting the works of "all these generous bearers of tradition" to an English-speaking audience, [she] has achieved her aim of opening a small window on the art of the Turkish tale in a volume which stands as a tribute to the art of book making as well. Sarah Moment Atis, Chair, Middle East Studies Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison President, Turkish Studies Association This will stand as a fine, quintessential contribution.... One hears the whispers of the original voices in these versions, all of which are... artful, recast in colloquial rhythms, and couched in a style that conveys the substance, the shape, the spirit, and the sumptuousness or the simplicity of the tale. Talat Sait Halman, Turkey's former Minister of Culture, then Ambassador for Cultural Affairs; now Professor of Near Eastern Languages and Literatures, New York University

Nasrudin Hoja was a mullah (teacher) in Turkey. He was a busy man – he worked in a vineyard, gave sermons at the mosque, and was sometimes even a judge. He did all of this with a nagging wife, a constant stream of uninvited visitors, and many animals. Although Hoja’s life wasn’t easy, his heart was always light and his observations about life held a witty twist. For instance, when his donkey got lost, his neighbors offered sympathy, but Hoja found the bright side: “Imagine if I were riding the donkey at the time. I’d be lost too!” Though the ten Hoja stories presented by Rina Singh and richly illustrated by Farida Zaman are funny, each one contains such insight into human nature that Sufi teachers use them to illustrate their teachings. Traditional Turkish Hoja stories are much-loved throughout Asia, and Nearly Nonsense brings them to a North American readership sure to enjoy them and, through laughter, to learn from them.

This volume is a treasure chest of classic Eastern tales drawing on the rich folklore of Turkey. Forty-four Turkish Fairy Tales has not been in print for almost 100 years, mainly because the original edition had lavish production standards. On the used market, mint copies of the 1913 original can cost up to four figures. This volume is appropriately titled Fairy Tales because something definitely 'fairy' occurs. There are talking animals, flying horses, birds that magically change into beautiful maidens, quests to win the hand of a princess, magical objects, simple, yet brave, peasants, wizards, witches, dragons and dungeons, epic journeys, and loveable fools. The majority of these stories contain encounters with 'Dews', or Turkish supernatural beings, better known in the West as 'Genies.' Sometimes the Turkish Dews are also called 'Arabs ' There are many other specifically Turkish elements and references in the stories, for which the glossary at the end of the book is of particular help. So this isn't simply an orientalised set of European Tales, but was drawn from an authentic Turkish oral storytelling tradition by Dr. Ignacz Kunos . Plus, there are almost 200 illustrations exquisitely crafted by Willy Pogany. While our production is not as lavish as the original, it does contain the original illustrations. Note: some of the illustrations could be considered unsuitable by 21st Century standards because they can be considered as caricatures with obvious ethnic stereotypes. However, in most cases, the illustrator is portraying imaginary creatures, which are supposed to be grotesque. Also to be remembered is the book was originally produced in 1913 when the world's attitudes towards racial tolerance and acceptance were quite different to those of today. 33% of the net will be donated to charities in Turkey for education scholarships

26 folk tales from Turkey cast a keen light on the rich heritage of Anatolia. Featuring both characters familiar to the greater region and those that intrigue us with the adventures of lesser known figures these tales give us colorful insights into the multi-cultural aspects of Anatolia. Also provided are small maps that pinpoint the geographical location of the story and more in depth information about the historical and social aspects of the region.

An anthology of personal writings in which twenty-nine women who have lived in Turkey over the last forty years chronicle their experiences and share their impressions of the country.

An introduction to the songs, singers, and performance of an important romance tradition