Despite being constrained by sets of well-defined rules and norms, Ottoman poets and authors would attempt to express a certain originality in their writings. By manipulating language in otherwise peculiar ways, they would occasionally develop new literary content, styles, and techniques. These initiatives, all of which fall under the genre of experimental literature, greatly enriched Ottoman literature. This article analyzes a recently unearthed example of the experimental texts in Ottoman literature – a letter that, albeit having all the formal characteristics of a letter from the classical period, is composed mostly of book titles, a comparatively fewer number of academic terms. The letter, its author and addressee of which is unknown, is part of the larger manuscript Münşeat Mecmuası (No. NEKTY09652) housed in Istanbul University Rare Books Library. The works mentioned in the letter, however, allow us to conclude that it was written no earlier than the 18th century. Although we have a few isolated examples of poems written using book titles and letters using academic terms at our current disposal, this is the first time that we encounter a letter containing both book titles and academic terms. This article includes the transliteration and translation of the letter into modern Turkish, lists the book titles and terms contained therewithin, and discusses what this letter’s author had to say about the book culture of the period during which he lived.

Ottoman book culture, experimental texts in Ottoman literature, letter, ornamented prose.