Beyond World Literature: Reading Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar Today [Special Issue]

In view of A.H. Tanpınar as the next Turkish author of world literature, and of his work as a national cultural product of exportation, the articles in this issue contextualize and critically examine such local and global appropriations. They do not make claims to authentic “local” literary categories or hold his work up to the global standards of readability; instead, in their variety and originality, they aspire to create an attentive and continuing dialogue that suggests a healthy future for Tanpınar studies. The article finally argues that in light of Tanpınar’s multiple and contradictory identities, a dialectical approach is necessary to understand his work.