“Most of the time it's not the Europeans who belittle us. What happens when we look at them is that we belittle ourselves. When we undertake the pilgrimage, it's not just to escape the tyranny at home but also to reach to the depths of our souls. The day arrives when the guilty must return to save those who could not find the courage to leave.”

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.