Turkish editions of Soft Machine by William S. Burroughs and Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk

Last year, I reported on the trial of Turkish publisher ?rfan Sanc? and translator Süha Sertabibo?lu for their January 2011 publication of William S. Burrough’s 1961 novel The Soft Machine (Yumu?ak Makine). The ongoing legal action against them received international notice, including in the Guardian, which both reported on the trial and published an editorial by Elif Shafak. After various postponements, the trial is set to continue tomorrow, March 13, 2012, at 9:30 a.m. at the courthouse Ça?layan Adliyesi 2. The publisher (Hasan Basri Çiplak of Ayrinti Publishing) and translator (Funda Uncu) of Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk are also set to appear in court on similar charges. If convicted, all parties face prison terms of six months to three years under Turkish law. The International Publishers Association issued a statement last October calling for all charges to be dropped, as did PEN International. Nonetheless, oppressive legal action against these publishing professionals continues. We encourage everyone to protest the trial by writing to: Mr Sadullah Ergin Minister of Justice 06669 Kizilay Ankara Turkey Fax: 00 90 312 419 3370 You may also contact Turkish Ambassador Nam?k Tan: Turkish Embassy 2525 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W Washington, D.C. 20008 Telephone: +1 202 612 67 00 +1 202 612 67 01 Fax: +1 202 612 67 44