On The Self

His candidature reportedly delayed the announcement of the Nobel Prize for Literature for the first time in ten years. His statements on the plight of Armenians and Kurds in Turkey and the consequent proceedings against him are placing in sharp relief some of the biggest questions before his country. Will Turkey protect his freedom of speech? Will Turkish society have the courage to examine ethnic faultlines and forge a more inclusive society? All this controversy is once again highlighting the work of Orhan Pamuk, perhaps the most innovative writer around today. Three books by him you must not miss:

8226; My Name is Red: Murders unsettle the emperor8217;s master miniaturists
8226; Istanbul: A city and a life both profiled
8226; Snow: Radical Islam versus modernity