Feature Articles

Orhan Pamuk, Winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize for Literature
by Sarah Buck, Contintuations Bibliographer

The recipient of this year's Nobel Prize for Literature, Orhan Pamuk is the first Turkish author so honored. A prominent writer from Istanbul, Pamuk's works have been translated into over 40 languages. The press release from the Swedish Academy offers these words about Pamuk:

"…who in the quest for the melancholic soul of his native city has discovered new symbols for the clash and interlacing of cultures"

Pamuk's work is recognized internationally for its splendor. He does not simply tell a story: he reveals it. His manner of writing is elegant and smooth, beautifully narrated to provide readers with a sense of being escorted by a strong and fair-minded voice. Pamuk has been compared to Eco and Nabokov, and his writing is certainly transporting like theirs, with a unique style whose erudition does not call attention to itself. His writing is structured and intelligent, but there's a certain ease and flow present that is not inflated.

There have been accusations that Pamuk's work is driven by social activism, but the author denies this and says he keeps his life out of his art. According to the Swedish Academy, Pamuk was the first Muslim author to denounce the fatwah against Salman Rushde.

Pamuk has been watched by literary circles for some years, the Boston Globe saying in 2004, "It's become commonplace to speak of when, not if, he will win the Nobel Prize." And today, that prophesy has been realized.

Regardless of Pamuk's social activism (traces of which are absent from his writing), he has made a splendid mark in the literary world by his writing alone. Below is a list of titles by Orhan Pamuk, available from YBP and Baker & Taylor. For your convenience, this list is also available in a MS Excel spreadsheet. click here.

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