The London Book Fair 2013, the 42nd Fair, has opened on Monday and will run until Wednesday at Earls Court in London. Turkey is Market Focus country in 2013, following China in 2012.

The London Book Fair is the global marketplace for rights negotiation and the sale and distribution of content across print, audio, TV, film and digital channels. Taking place every spring in the world’s premier publishing and cultural capital, it is a unique opportunity to explore, understand and capitalise on the innovations shaping the publishing world of the future. The London Book Fair brings you direct access to customers, content and emerging markets.

The British Council, the UK’s international cultural relations organisation have titled the Market Focus of this year's Fair,  'Turkey in all its Colours'.
A series of high profile public and trade events will take place in and around The London Book Fair, where the writers from Turkey will engage in debate and discussion with their UK counterparts in front of an international literary audience. The participating writers will represent the diversity of contemporary Turkish writing across a range of genres and from different generations.
The British Council’s cultural programme involves twenty writers from Turkey, more than 35 panellists, including UK writers, translators and editors, at more than 30 events at fifteen venues across four UK cities. The writers will explore writing in a changing Turkey, the future of literature and writing Turkey from a distance
Participants in the cultural programme include
• Perihan Mağden, author of Two Girls, which was subsequently made into an award-winning film, and columnist for controversial newspaper Taraf;
• bestselling author and journalist Ayşe Kulin;
• Ahmet Ümit, the leading figure in Turkish crime writing;
• Murathan Mungan, an author of Kurdish descent who has written two of most staged plays in modern Turkish theatre; and
• Ece Temelkuran, an author published by Verso in English, who also writes on social issues for Milliyet newspaper, The Guardian, Le Monde Diplomatique and New Left Review.
The London Book Fair’s Market Focus ‘Author of the Day’ on Tuesday, 16 April, will be award-winning author and journalist Elif Shafak, author of Honour and The Forty Rules of Love, amongst others. As part of the programme, she will take part in seminars, discussions, book signings and photo opportunities across the fair.
Together, these and other writers will tackle a range of topics at The London Book Fair, including:
• Writing in a Changing Turkey
• Children’s Writers from Turkey: What Makes Children Read?
• What is Contemporary Writing from Turkey? Celebrating Diversity
• At the Crossroads of Culture: Writing Turkey from a Distance
• Page and Screen in Turkey: Competitors or Collaborators?
• New Fiction: Fantasy and Crime
• The Future of Literature in Turkey
Additional seminars and events will also be taking place at prestigious venues throughout London and at selected venues and festivals across the UK throughout the year. These will include events at Foyles, the British Library and a Round Table Discussion on Freedom of Expression in Turkey in association with English PEN and PEN International.
The cultural programme is the culmination of a series of events over the past year working with the literature sectors in Turkey and the UK. Activity included writer residencies in Istanbul and Norwich, literature festivals in both countries, professional development for emerging Turkish to English translators, bringing together UK publishing professionals with their counterparts in Turkey to pursue business opportunities and the Turkish edition of the Edinburgh World Writers’ Conference.
Susie Nicklin, Director Literature, British Council, said: 'Our global partnership with The London Book Fair Market Focus Cultural Programme is the most comprehensive ever continuous project to bring writers from overseas to the UK and we are excited that this year Turkey will be the focus. The cultural programme reflects the richness of diversity in Turkey and is the largest single representation of contemporary writers and writing from Turkey ever to be presented in the UK.'
Jacks Thomas, Director of The London Book Fair, said: 'It is always good to see the outcome of years of preparation with Market Focus programmes. We have been working with our partners at the British Council  and representatives of Turkish publishing for several years building up to The London Book Fair 2013 and I have no doubt that the Market Focus Turkey Cultural Programme will be a highlight of the fair.'