Orhan Pamuk

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Pamuk was born in Istanbul in 1952 and grew up in a wealthy but declining upper-class family, an experience he describes in his novels *The Black Book* and *Cevdet Bey and His Sons*, as well as in his memoir *Istanbul: Memories and the City*. His paternal grandmother was Circassian. He was educated at Robert College secondary school in Istanbul and studied architecture at the Istanbul Technical University, a subject related to his dream career of painting. He left architecture school after three years to become a full-time writer, and graduated from the Institute of Journalism at the University of Istanbul in 1976. From ages 22 to 30, Pamuk lived with his mother, writing his first novel and attempting to find a publisher. He describes himself as a Cultural Muslim who identifies with Islam historically and culturally while not believing in a personal connection to God. Pamuk started writing regularly in 1974. His first novel, *Karanlık ve Işık* (Darkness and Light), was a co-winner of the 1979 Milliyet Press Novel Contest (Mehmet Eroğlu was the other winner). This novel was published with the title *Cevdet Bey ve Oğulları* (Mr. Cevdet and His Sons) in 1982 and won the Orhan Kemal Novel Prize in 1983. His second novel *Sessiz Ev* (Silent House) won the 1984 Madarali Novel Prize. His historical novel *Beyaz Kale* (The White Castle), published in Turkish in 1985, won the 1990 Independent Award for Foreign Fiction. On 19 May 1991, *The New York Times Book Review* wrote, 'A new star has risen in the east—Orhan Pamuk.' His 1990 novel *Kara Kitap* (The Black Book) became one of the most controversial and popular books in Turkish literature. His fifth novel, *Yeni Hayat* (New Life), caused a sensation upon its 1994 publication and became the fastest-selling book in Turkish history. In 1995, he was among a group of authors tried for writing essays that criticized Turkey's treatment of the Kurds. In 2005, a lawyer sued him over a statement acknowledging the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire; Pamuk said his intention had been to highlight issues of freedom of speech in Turkey. The court initially declined to hear the case, but in 2011 Pamuk was ordered to pay 6,000 liras in compensation for having insulted the plaintiffs' honor.

Reader's Guide

Orhan Pamuk is a central figure in modern Turkish literature and the first Turkish Nobel laureate. His novels, including *My Name Is Red* and *Snow*, have been translated into dozens of languages and have sold over 13 million copies worldwide. *My Name Is Red* won the 2002 Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger, the 2002 Premio Grinzane Cavour, and the 2003 International Dublin Literary Award. *Snow* was listed by *The New York Times* as one of its Ten Best Books of 2004. Pamuk's work often explores tensions between East and West, tradition and modernity, and the complexities of Turkish identity. He has also been a high-profile figure due to his support for Kurdish political rights and his willingness to address sensitive historical events, which led to legal challenges in Turkey. Beyond writing, Pamuk has taught at Columbia University since 2018 as the Robert Yik-Fong Tam Professor in the Humanities and was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 2018. His legacy includes not only his literary output but also the creation of the Museum of Innocence in Istanbul, a physical space tied to his novel of the same name, and his role in co-proposing the European Writers' Parliament with José Saramago. In 2019, he held an exhibition of his photographs of Istanbul taken from his own balcony, 'Balkon: Photos by Orhan Pamuk', featuring more than 600 colour photos selected from over 8,500 he took over a five-month period in late 2012 and early 2013.

Did You Know?

• Pamuk is the first Turkish Nobel laureate.
• His novel *Yeni Hayat* (New Life) became the fastest-selling book in Turkish history upon its 1994 publication.
• In 2005, a lawyer sued Pamuk over a statement acknowledging the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire; in 2011 he was ordered to pay 6,000 liras in compensation.
• Pamuk created an actual Museum of Innocence in Istanbul, housing everyday objects tied to his novel of the same name.
• In 2019, Pamuk held an exhibition of over 600 colour photos of Istanbul taken from his own balcony, selected from more than 8,500 he took over five months.