Orhan Pamuk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Orhan Pamuk
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Pamuk in 2009
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| Born | Ferit Orhan Pamuk 7 June 1952 Istanbul, Turkey |
| Occupation | Novelist, screenwriter, Professor of Comparative Literature and Writing (Columbia University) |
| Nationality | Turkish |
| Alma mater | Istanbul University |
| Period | 1974–present |
| Genre | Novel |
| Subject | East–West dichotomy, literature, painting |
| Literary movement | Postmodern literature |
| Notable works |
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| Notable awards | International Dublin Literary Award 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature 2006 Sonning Prize 2012 |
| Spouse |
Aylin Türegün
(m. 1982; div. 2002)Aslı Akyavaş
(m. 2022) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Şevket Pamuk (brother) Hümeyra Pamuk (half-sister) |
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Ferit Orhan Pamuk (born June 7, 1952) is a famous Turkish writer. He writes novels, screenplays, and teaches at a university. In 2006, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature, which is one of the highest awards a writer can receive.
Pamuk is one of Turkey's most well-known novelists. His books have sold over 13 million copies and have been translated into 63 languages. This makes him the best-selling writer from his country. Some of his popular novels include The White Castle, The Black Book, My Name Is Red, and Snow. He teaches writing and literature at Columbia University in the United States.
Pamuk was born in Istanbul, Turkey. He is the first Turkish person to win a Nobel Prize. He has also received many other important awards for his books. For example, My Name Is Red won the International Dublin Literary Award in 2003.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Pamuk was born in Istanbul in 1952. He grew up in a wealthy family. He has written about his childhood experiences in his books, especially in his memoir Istanbul: Memories and the City.
He went to Robert College secondary school in Istanbul. He first studied architecture at Istanbul Technical University. His dream was to become a painter. After three years, he decided to leave architecture school. He wanted to focus on becoming a full-time writer. In 1976, he graduated from the Institute of Journalism at the University of Istanbul. From age 22 to 30, he lived with his mother while working on his first novel.
His Books and Writing Style
Orhan Pamuk started writing regularly in 1974. His first novel, Cevdet Bey ve Oğulları (Mr. Cevdet and His Sons), was published in 1982. It won the Orhan Kemal Novel Prize in 1983. This book tells the story of three generations of a rich family in Istanbul.
His second novel, Sessiz Ev (Silent House), won the 1984 Madarali Novel Prize. His historical novel Beyaz Kale (The White Castle), published in 1985, helped him become known around the world. The New York Times praised him as a rising star in literature. Pamuk began to use new, experimental writing styles in his later novels.
His 1990 novel Kara Kitap (The Black Book) became very popular in Turkish literature. In 1992, he wrote the screenplay for a movie based on Kara Kitap. Pamuk's fifth novel, Yeni Hayat (New Life), was published in 1994. It became the fastest-selling book in Turkish history.
In 2019, Pamuk had an exhibition of his photographs of Istanbul. He took over 8,500 photos from his own balcony. The exhibition showed more than 600 of these colorful pictures.
My Name Is Red
Pamuk's international fame grew even more with Benim Adım Kırmızı (My Name is Red), published in 1998. This novel mixes mystery, romance, and deep questions. It is set in 16th-century Istanbul during the time of Ottoman Sultan Murat III. The story explores the differences between Eastern and Western ideas.
My Name Is Red has been translated into 24 languages. In 2003, it won the International Dublin Literary Award. This is one of the world's most valuable literary prizes.
Snow
After My Name Is Red, Pamuk published Kar (English translation: Snow) in 2002. This novel is set in the city of Kars. It looks at the conflicts between traditional and modern ideas in Turkey.
Snow follows a Turkish poet named Ka. He explores the snowy city of Kars and meets different groups of people. The New York Times named Snow one of its Ten Best Books of 2004.
The Museum of Innocence
Pamuk completed his novel Masumiyet Müzesi (The Museum of Innocence) in 2008. This was his first novel after winning the Nobel Prize.
Pamuk also created a real Museum of Innocence in Istanbul. It contains everyday objects that are connected to the story in his novel. He wanted the museum to tell a different version of the love story from his book.
Non-fiction Works
Pamuk published a memoir called Istanbul—Hatıralar ve Şehir in 2003. The English version, Istanbul—Memories and the City, came out in 2005. This book shares his personal memories and thoughts about his home city.
He also published a collection of essays and a story called Öteki Renkler (Other Colors) in 1999.
Writing Style and Inspiration
Pamuk's books often explore themes of identity and the clash between Western and Eastern cultures. His stories can be thought-provoking and sometimes unsettling. They often have complex plots and characters. His works also show his deep interest in creative arts like literature and painting.
Pamuk often talks about "the angel of inspiration" when he writes. He says he listens to an "inner music" that guides his writing. He feels that sometimes his ideas come from "another power" that gives them to him.
Some people have suggested that parts of Pamuk's works are similar to other writers' works. Pamuk himself has said that his writing is inspired by the rebel poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. Many experts believe that Pamuk uses a literary technique called intertextuality. This means he openly references or builds upon other texts in his novels.
Personal Life
Orhan Pamuk's older brother, Şevket Pamuk, is a professor of economics. He studies the economic history of the Ottoman Empire. Orhan sometimes includes his brother as a character in his books. Pamuk also has a younger half-sister, Hümeyra Pamuk, who is a journalist.
In 1982, Pamuk married historian Aylin Türegün. They had a daughter named Rüya in 1991. Her name means "dream" in Turkish. Pamuk dedicated his novel My Name is Red to her. They divorced in 2002.
From 1985 to 1988, Pamuk was a visiting scholar at Columbia University in the U.S. He used this time to research and write his novel The Black Book. He also spent time at the University of Iowa. Pamuk later returned to Istanbul, a city he loves very much.
In 2006, he went back to Columbia University as a visiting professor. He taught comparative literature classes there. In 2009, he gave a series of lectures at Harvard University.
Since 2011, he has been in a relationship with Aslı Akyavaş, whom he married in 2022.
Challenges and Freedom of Speech
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In 2005, Orhan Pamuk made a statement in an interview about past events in Turkish history. He said that "Thirty thousand Kurds have been killed here, and a million Armenians. And almost nobody dares to mention that. So I do." This statement caused a lot of discussion in Turkey.
Because of his words, a legal case was started against him. Pamuk said his goal was to highlight the importance of freedom of speech in Turkey. He believed that people should be able to talk about the past openly.
The case against Pamuk drew international attention. Many people and organizations around the world supported him. The European Parliament sent observers to his trial. Organizations like Amnesty International and PEN American Center called for the charges to be dropped. They argued that the charges went against the idea of freedom of expression.
Eight world-famous authors, including José Saramago and Gabriel García Márquez, issued a joint statement. They supported Pamuk and spoke out against the charges. They saw the case as a violation of human rights.
In January 2006, the charges against Pamuk were dropped. This was seen as good news for freedom of expression in Turkey. In 2008, it was reported that Pamuk might have been a target of a group planning to harm public figures. The police informed him about these plans.
Awards and Honours
Orhan Pamuk has received many awards and honours for his writing:
- 1979 Milliyet Press Novel Contest Award (Turkey) for Karanlık ve Işık
- 1983 Orhan Kemal Novel Prize (Turkey) for Cevdet Bey ve Oğulları
- 1984 Madarali Novel Prize (Turkey) for Sessiz Ev
- 1990 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize (United Kingdom) for Beyaz Kale
- 1991 Prix de la Découverte Européenne (France) for La Maison de Silence (French edition of Sessiz Ev)
- 1991 Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival (Turkey) Best Original Screenplay for Gizli Yüz
- 1995 Prix France Culture (France) for Le Livre Noir (French edition of Kara Kitap)
- 2002 Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger (France) for Mon Nom est Rouge (French edition of My Name Is Red)
- 2002 Premio Grinzane Cavour (Italy) for My Name Is Red
- 2003 International Dublin Literary Award (Ireland) for My Name Is Red
- 2005 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade (Germany)
- 2005 Prix Médicis étranger (France) for La Neige (French edition of Snow)
- 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature (Sweden)
- 2006 Washington University in St. Louis's Distinguished Humanist Award (United States)
- 2006
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France) - 2008 Ovidius Prize (Romania)
- 2010 Norman Mailer Prize, Lifetime Achievement (USA)
- 2012 Sonning Prize (Denmark)
- 2012
Légion d'honneur Officier (France) - 2014 The Mary Lynn Kotz Award (USA) for The Innocence of Objects
- 2014 Tabernakul Prize (Macedonia)
- 2014 European Museum of the Year Award (Estonia)
- 2014 Helena Vaz da Silva European Award for Public Awareness on Cultural Heritage (Portugal)
- 2015 Erdal Öz Prize (Turkey), for A Strangeness in My Mind
- 2015 Aydın Doğan Foundation Award (Turkey), for A Strangeness in My Mind
- 2016 The Yasnaya Polyana Literary Award (Russia) for A Strangeness in My Mind
- 2016 Milovan Vidaković Prize in Novi Sad (Serbia)
- 2017 Budapest Grand Prize (Hungary)
- 2017 Literary Flame Prize (Montenegro)
- 2019 Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement
Honorary Doctorates
Pamuk has received honorary doctorates from many universities around the world:
- 2007 Free University of Berlin
- 2007 Tilburg University
- 2007 Boğaziçi University
- 2007 Georgetown University
- 2007 Complutense University of Madrid
- 2008 University of Florence
- 2008 American University of Beirut
- 2009 University of Rouen
- 2010 University of Tirana
- 2010 Yale University
- 2011 Sofia University
- 2017 Brera Academy (Italy)
- 2017 St. Petersburg State University
- 2018 University of Crete
- 2023 Paris Nanterre University
- 2023 Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
Other Honours
- 2005 Honorary Member of American Academy of Arts and Letters (USA)
- 2008 Honorary Member of Social Sciences of Chinese Academy (China)
- 2008 Honorary Member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences (USA)
In 2005, Pamuk received the €25,000 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. This award recognized his literary work, which helps connect Europe and Islamic Turkey.
See also
In Spanish: Orhan Pamuk para niños
