“The first thing a big city does to us is sneak into their language, and if we don’t curse, the curse will fall on our cells.” In this collection of personal essays, fifteen authors tell of their encounters, adventures, and crises in Istanbul—lively, honest, humorous, and sometimes melancholic.

The interplay of atmospheric illustrations and background information on everyday Turkish culture creates a complex picture of this city in which so many cultural influences, social ideas and individual dreams mix together.

Şimdi heißt jetzt (“Şimdi means now”) is intended to make encounters possible. Encounter with new impressions and personal perspectives that arouse curiosity and create connections between Turkey and Germany.

We are far away from each other. We are close to each other. And we care about each other.

With contributions from Tuğba Yalcınkaya, Carina Plinke, Matthias Wechsler, Seda Sina, Neslihan Yakut, Marie Hartlieb, Navid Linnemann, Onur Sesigür, Zeynep Ünal, Seden Filiz Güleç, Onur Sekmen, Derya Reinalda, Marlene Resch, Uğur Ugan, Sabrina Raap.