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Children’s short story collection from Turkey — seven illustrated tales of courage, dreams & breaking gender stereotypes. Ages 8+.
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| Author(s) | Bengüsu Özcan, Burak Almaç, Cansu Özkan, Fatma Burçak, Gökçe Yavaş, Gözde Eyce, İklim Keleşoğlu |
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| Translator(s) | |
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| Pages | 104 |
| ISBN | 9789347783739 |
On My Own Way: Stories for Children About Dreams, Courage & Breaking Stereotypes by Fatma Burçak and friends · Illustrated by Gözde Eyce · Translated from the Turkish by Nilufer Bose Archment
It began with a drawing exercise in a primary school classroom. The boys filled their pages with racing cars, pirate ships, and superheroes. The girls drew houses with gardens and princesses waiting in castles. That quiet, painful pattern — the way children’s dreams are shaped long before they know it — became the spark for this book.
On My Own Way is a collection of seven illustrated short stories written by six young volunteers under the mentorship of acclaimed Turkish writer Fatma Burçak. Born out of a desire to free children’s imaginations from the old moulds of gender, expectation, and “what girls do” or “what boys do,” each story follows a child standing at the edge of a dream — and finding the courage to step into it.
Kevser wins a writing contest about a sea she has never seen, and discovers a future she never imagined. A girl asks why the kitchen must belong only to her mother. A boy named Bahadır watches Swan Lake from the wings and dares, against his parents’ wishes, to want the stage. Fire alarms, thick red curtains, wings that can’t fly, turning points whispered in the dark — across these seven stories, children meet the moment when a small private wish becomes a path to walk.
Tender, brave, and quietly radical, On My Own Way is for every child who has ever been told that isn’t for you — and for the adults who want them to hear something different. Beautifully illustrated by Gözde Eyce and rendered into warm, readable English by Nilufer Bose Archment, this is a book about imagination as a form of courage, and courage as a form of love.
Originally published in Turkish as Kendi Yolunda, this English edition brings a much-loved Turkish children’s classic to young readers around the world.
Ages 8+ · Illustrated · Short story collection
A new title from Dreamcatcher, an imprint of The Antonym Collections.
Fatma Burçak — Project Director & Lead Author Fatma began writing stories in childhood alongside her sibling and later shared them with her son. Her first children’s novel, Journey to Akata, was published in 2014. In 2019, she contributed a story to On My Own Way and also served as project director. Her stories, essays, and author interviews have appeared in cultural and art magazines and story collections. She has compiled literary selections for young readers and prepared Faithful Friends for publication in 2017. In 2021, her short story collection Birds That Came to Tahtabosa was published. She enjoys discussing her readings and organising literature workshops.
Bengüsu Özcan Born in 1995 in Çorum, Bengüsu graduated from Atatürk Science High School and studied Industrial Engineering and Psychology at Sabancı University. In addition to her two published novels, The Masked Cat and The Antique Man, she continues to write. She shares her short adventures and ideas on her podcast, The Generalist.
Burak Almaç Born in 1996 in İzmir, Burak graduated from the 60th Year Anatolian High School and studied Industrial Engineering at Sabancı University. He had a deep passion for children-related work and loved the sea, the sun, travel, and theatre. Sadly, he passed away in 2021.
Cansu Özkan Born in 1991 in Tekirdağ, Cansu graduated from Galatasaray High School and earned a degree in Business Administration from Boğaziçi University. She founded yasamsuyu.com to help people connect with their inner selves, personal power, and creativity. She has a love for writing, dancing, and all things music.
Gökçe Yavaş Born in 1991 in Tokat, Gökçe graduated from Galatasaray High School and studied design at Istanbul Technical University. Pursuing her passion for books, she works in publishing — translating literature and serving as an editor.
İklim Keleşoğlu Born in 1997 in Istanbul, İklim was introduced to dance and the arts through ballet as a child. Her interest in various art forms complements her curiosity about science. She studied Psychology and Art Theory at Sabancı University and is currently pursuing a master’s in Clinical Psychology at Yeditepe University. She continues her dance journey with tango.
Gözde Eyce — Illustrator Gözde graduated from the Department of Business Administration at Istanbul University, where she studied English. After working in this field for several years, she pursued her dream career as an illustrator in 2018. She specialises in children’s books, editorial illustrations, and brand-related work. On My Own Way was her first illustrated children’s book, and she is currently working on her own book project. Filled with the joy of realising her dream, she now lives in the Netherlands with her husband and dog.
Nilufer Bose Archment — Translator (Turkish to English) Nilufer holds a Master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies from Columbia University, New York. She worked for five years at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, in the Department of Public Information, before transitioning to financial public relations on Wall Street. In the years that followed, she undertook numerous translation projects from French and Turkish into English, including several books on African tribal culture, business-related publications, and communications for Turkish businesses and officials. She also worked on a long-term project with Turkish retailers, serving as interpreter and translator at the request of the then-Mayor of Istanbul.
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