“I wanted to tell a romantic and dark side of Ottoman history that was also slightly political, saying to the previous generation of writers, 'Look, I'm interested in Ottoman things, and I'm not afraid of it, and I'm doing something creative.'”

Turkish novelist, screenwriter, and academic

Orhan Pamuk is a Turkish novelist, screenwriter, and academic. He is one of Turkey’s most prominent novelists and received the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature. His books have sold more than 13 million copies and have been published in 63 languages, which has made him Turkey’s best-selling writer. His work has reached a wide international readership and established him as a major literary figure.