Out of the handful of English novels in translation available, there are some great reads in modern Turkish literature.
I’ve just returned from a brief trip to Turkey, a country where there seems to always be some juicy literary controversy and a heap of new books.
The not-so-grand tradition of imprisoning Turkish writers who speak too freely goes back a long time, but has made headlines in recent years. Journalists and literary figures, like the venerated poet and notorious communist Nazim Hikmet, were persecuted long before Orhan Pamuk made Turkish freedom of speech a hot topic in Western newspapers. However, many Turks feel that Pamuk’s statements on genocide were political angling for the Nobel Prize in Literature, which he received in 2006. They believe that Yasar Kemal, a Kurd and long-respected writer from Anatolia, was robbed of the prize.
These days, a newer writer on the scene is being billed as “the next Orhan Pamuk”. Elif Shafak is in many ways quite different from Pamuk, but the comparison is apt in terms of her political bent, interest in Ottoman culture, and wide availability on the shelves of Western bookstores. Her novel, “The Flea Palace”, made a big hit in America, amongst others.
Meanwhile, not many other pieces of quality Turkish literature are being translated into English these days. It’s a shame, because what has been translated is so good. If you’re interested in pursuing Turkish literature beyond Orhan Pamuk, pick up a copy of “Memed, My Hawk” by Yasar Kemal or “The Other Side of the Mountain” by Erendiz Atasu.
And I’ll be hoping there are some new English translations on the shelves by the time I make my next trip.
