In the 1990s, the emergence of a group of young short story writers was labeled as a “boom” in Turkish literature. This dissertation aims to reveal the connection between the recent changes in the short story writing and the transformations in the society by focusing on the period between 1990-2005, and examining 131 books written by 53 writers. In the thesis, the Turkish short story writing from the 1990s to the present has been discussed from a sociological point of view, employing both quantitative and qualitative research methods. First, a database has been formed in order to empirically specify the so-called boom. Next, sociological profiles have been drawn using the biographical information gathered about the selected group. Then, the period has been examined. Sociopolitical developments of the 1990s both in Turkey and the world have been summarized in order to provide a framework for the analysis. It is understood that there are astounding connections and disconnections between the texts and the period. Although the Turkish short story writing of the 1990s seems to be quite disinterested in the political agenda, it is determined that the outcomes of some incidents are indirectly reflected. The depolitization process following the 1980 coup d’état and the individualistic way of thinking stemming from that have strongly influenced the texts written in the 1990s. This individualistic approach shows itself in the personal aspects of dedications and epigraphs, and the widespread use of the first person narrative. The most remarkable feature of the recent short story writing is the employment of visual elements. In addition to the diversification of the texts by an assortment of fonts, the display of illustrations and graphics may be interpreted as the internalization of the visual culture by the literary public sphere. Apart from these formal innovations, the roots of such characteristics as thematic ambiguity, fragmentation and intertextuality can be traced back to postmodernism.

Includes bibliographical references leaves 227-234

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Dündar, Leyla Burcu