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Orhan Pamuk

Ferit Orhan Pamuk generally known simply as Orhan Pamuk born on 7 June 1952 in Istanbul . He is is a Turkish novelist and professor of comparative literature at Columbia University.

One of Turkey's most prominent novelists, his work has sold over seven million books in more than fifty languages, making him the country's best-selling writer. Pamuk is the recipient of numerous literary awards, including the Nobel Prize in Literature 2006 - the first Nobel Prize to be awarded to a Turkish citizen.

Pamuk grew up in a privileged household that was exposed to both traditional Turkish culture and the influences of the West. He attended both Robert College for high school and then Istanbul Technical University to study architecture, although he soon dropped out to pursue a writing career.

Pamuk is known for his scholarly approach to literature and for his examination of the experiences of the East within the realm of Western culture. He often focuses on the intersection between the East and West, examining the clash between two different cultures and the way it effects those living within the environment. Additionally, much of Pamuk's work focuses on the dualities of modern life, as his characters often struggle with the tension between the traditional and the modern. His most popular novel is My Name is Red, which tells the story of a miniaturists who is commissioned to paint the portrait of the Ottoman Sultan. The novel is interesting in that it moves between the past and the present, and it examines the dynamics of culture and art.

Pamuk's works have received great acclaim, and he has been awarded numerous awards for his contributions to world literature. The Nobel Prize for Literature was, of course, one of the highest honors ever conferred upon Pamuk, as it recognizes his body of work and his ability to use literature as a means of exploring and conveying the experience of living between different cultural and political tensions. Pamuk's ability to make this experience universally understandable has earned him the respect of literary circles worldwide. In addition to the Nobel Prize, Pamuk has also earned other international awards such as the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, and two Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts.

Pamuk has played an important role in the Turkish literary scene, and he has continually strived to promote freedom of speech and expression throughout his life and within his writing. He is often considered the most influential living Turkish author, and his efforts to spread Turkish culture through his work have been instrumental in highlighting the complexities of the multicultural society of Turkey.

All in all, Orhan Pamuk is a celebrated author known for his exploration of dualities and East/West tensions within literature. He has earned numerous awards for his body of work and for his attempt to promote Turkish culture through his works. He is a Nobel Laureate and an important figure for literary circles in Turkey, and his importance to regional literature as well as to the global literary scene cannot be understated.

Bibliography

• The White Castle, translated by Victoria Holbrook, Manchester (UK): Carcanet Press Limited, 1990;, 1991; New York: George Braziller, 1991 [original title: Beyaz Kale]
• The Black Book, translated by Güneli Gün, New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1994 [original title: Kara Kitap]. A new translation by Maureen Freely was published in 2006
• The New Life, translated by Güneli Gün, New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1997 [original title: Yeni Hayat]
• My Name is Red, translated by Erdağ M. Göknar, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2001 [original title: Benim Adım Kırmızı].
• Snow, translated by Maureen Freely, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2004 [original title: Kar]
• Istanbul: Memories of a City‎, translated by Maureen Freely, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005 [original title: İstanbul: Hatıralar ve Şehir]
• Other Colors: Essays and a Story, translated by Maureen Freely, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2007 [original title: Öteki Renkler]