The literature of the Turks is among the oldest of living literatures. In nearly twelve centuries, it has been alive in many continents and regions, expressing itself in a diversity of languages and scripts and remaining receptive to external influences as it maintains its intrinsic impetus for renewal. The Journal of Turkish Literature (JTL) encompasses the literary output of the Turks in Asia, the Middle East, the Balkans and elsewhere. 'JTL's honorary consulting board includes Bernard Lewis, Geoffrey Lewis, Irene Melikoff, Louis Bazin, and Halil Inalcik. The editorial board includes Robert Dankoff, Victoria Holbrook, Eleazer Birnbaum, Joseph Jacobson, Celia Kerslake, and many other leading scholars.