Censorship Rumors in Turkey Boost Classics to Bestseller List

By Emel Akan Epoch Times Staff Created: January 29, 2013 Last Updated: January 30, 2013

ISTANBULRumors that two classic books could face censorship in Turkey boosted them to best-seller status within a week.

Steinbecks Of Mice and Men reportedly had been referred to the authorities for censorship in schools in Turkey because of several immoral parts of text, along with popular childrens book My Sweet Orange Tree. The Ministry of Education subsequently denied the rumors, but not before books sales soared.

It is true that recent reactions have boosted the sales. It is not desirable though. It is unfortunate that the book has become part of such rumors, said Irfan Sanci, chief editor of Sel Publishing House that publishes Of Mice and Men.

Publisher of My Sweet Orange Tree, Can Publications also confirmed soaring sales. A representative said: The increase was triggered by both reaction and curiosity. There has been lot of support by readers. Some were second time buyers.

But the manager at Kabalci bookstore in Besiktas, one of the busiest bookstores in Istanbul downplayed the reported increase in sales. We have seen more interest and some reactionary buying in the last few weeks, but it was not enormous. It was media pump up. Some people bought the books with the fear of censorship.

Both books have been popular in schools as they are among the 100 novels recommended by the Ministry of Education. Leading Turkish online bookstore Idefix, has listed both books as bestsellers.

Books are resilient the more they are banned or attempted to be banned the more people read them. said World famous Turkish author Elif Safak in a tweet when the two books hit the bestseller lists.

Although it is a common practice to ban books in Turkey, the government recently lifted a ban on 453 books. Some included titles from 1960s70s.

Izmir Education Directorates Books Evaluation Commission had sent a report calling for the Ministry of Education to ban certain parts of John Steinbecks classic according to an article by Daily Birgun on Jan. 3. The commission had listed pages 63 and 64 as immoral in its report.

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Censorship Rumors in Turkey Boost Classics to Bestseller List