Orhan Pamuk is a Turkish novelist, screenwriter, and academic. He is the recipient of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature. One of the best-known writers from Turkey, he has sold over 13 million books in 63 languages. He began writing in the 1970s and is the author of several novels and non-fiction works in both English and Turkish.
Known widely as Turkey’s most popular female author, Elif Shafak is best known for her Booker-shortlisted bestseller 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World. A fierce advocate for gender equality and LGBTQ rights, she is also a 3-time TEDGlobal speaker. She now lives in London, on a self-imposed exile.
Ancient Greek satirist Lucian was born in Roman Syria, modern-day Turkey, and was initially trained as a sculptor. Inspired by the works of Homer and Plato, he later became a fine rhetorician, public speaker, and pamphleteer, known for his satire. He is remembered for notable works such as Dialogues of the Dead.
Legendary Kurdish director, screenwriter, and actor Yılmaz Güney was a veteran of the Turkish film industry. He received a Palme d'Or for co-directing and writing the movie Yol. Known as the Ugly King for his realistic portrayals, he was banned by the Turkish military junta in 1980 and thus escaped to France.
One of the most influential Turkish short-story writers of the 20th century, Sabahattin Ali was born in a region of the Ottoman Empire that is now in northern Greece. A journalist and a high-school German teacher, he was imprisoned for libel and later assassinated. His best-known works include Madonna in a Fur Coat.
Turkish author Yaşar Kemal was blinded in one eye since childhood and took up political activism after his father’s murder. He later worked as a journalist, before finding fame with novels such as İnce Memed. He also joined the Turkish Workers Party but was arrested and charged with sedition against the Turkish government.
Remembered as a pioneer of the modern Turkish novel, Turkish author Halide Edib Adıvar was also a champion for women’s rights and a teacher. Actively associated with the Turkish socio-political movements, she was a regular at Turkish social clubs and gained fame for works such as Yeni Turan and Handan.
Reșat Nuri Güntekin was a Turkish novelist, playwright, and storywriter. He is best remembered for his 1922 novel Çalıkuşu, which was translated by Seyyed Borhan Ghandili into Persian. Many of his novels deal with the social problems of people of Anatolia. Many of his literary works have also been adapted into films and TV shows.
Oğuz Atay was a Turkish novelist best remembered for his best-selling and controversial novel, Tutunamayanlar. The book has been translated into English, Dutch, and German so far. The novel has inspired many Turkish authors who have broken away from traditional styles since its initial publication in 1972.
Turkish novelist and screenwriter Ayşe Kulin has also worked extensively in Turkish media and been a cinematographer and producer for various films and series. She has also been UNESCO’s Goodwill Ambassador. Of the many awards she has won, the culture ministry’s Screenplay Award is the most notable.
Zülfü Livaneli is a Turkish poet, musician, film director, politician, and author. He is best known for writing an international best selling novel titled Bliss, which was adapted into a critically acclaimed film of the same name. Also renowned for his political and cultural activities, Zülfü Livaneli was appointed Goodwill Ambassador to UNESCO in 1995.
One of the most prominent short-story writers from Turkey, Sait Faik Abasıyanık is considered a pioneer of modern Turkish literature. Starting his writing career by publishing his stories in Varlık, he later penned volumes such as Semaver and Kumpanya. His novel Bir takım insanlar was censored due to its depiction of class differences.
Omer Seyfeddin, or Seyfettin, is remembered as one of the most influential modern Turkish authors. Best known for his works such as Bomba and Bahar ve Kelebekler, he was a talented short-story writer and was known for his use of colloquial language in his works. He had also fought in the Balkan Wars.
Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu was a Turkish journalist, novelist, diplomat, and political figure. He is best remembered for his association with a Turkish newspaper called Tan, where he served as the founding editor-in-chief. He also contributed to another newspaper called İkdam during the Turkish War of Independence. Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu is also credited with co-founding the Kadro magazine.
Halit Ziya Uşaklıgil was a Turkish poet, playwright, and author. He is best remembered for his 1899 novel Aşk-ı Memnu, which has been adapted into a TV series of the same name. Halid Ziya Uşaklıgil is credited with founding numerous literary movements and institutions, including his avant-garde journal Servet-i Fünun.
Necati Cumalı was a Greek-born Turkish short-story writer, novelist, poet, and essayist. One of his well-known works Dry Summer was adapted into a film of the same name in 1964 by film director Metin Erksan. Many of Necati Cumalı's poems have also been translated into French and German languages.
Hüseyin Rahmi Gürpınar was a Turkish writer, politician, and civil servant. After starting his career as a writer of fiction, Gürpınar went on to become a journalist and later served as a member of the Grand National Assembly between 1935 and 1943.