Famous Turkish Novelists

Vote for Your Favourite Turkish Novelists

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 1 
Orhan Pamuk
(Turkish Novelist and Recipient of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Orhan Pamuk
4
Birthdate: June 7, 1952
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Istanbul, Turkey

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. 

 2 
Elif Shafak
(Writer)
Elif Shafak
3
Birthdate: October 25, 1971
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Strasbourg, France

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.

 3 
Lucian
(Ancient Greek Satirist, Rhetorician, Public Speaker, and Pamphleteer)
Lucian
3
Birthdate: 0125 AD
Birthplace: Samsat, Turkey
Died: 0180 AD

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.

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 4 
Yılmaz Güney
(Kurdish Director, Screenwriter, and Actor of Turkish Films)
Yılmaz Güney
3
Birthdate: April 1, 1937
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Yenice, Karataş, Turkey
Died: September 9, 1984

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.

 5 
Aziz Nesin
(Turkish Writer and Humorist)
Aziz Nesin
2
Birthdate: December 20, 1915
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Heybeliada
Died: July 6, 1995
Turkish author and humorist Aziz Nesin was also a prominent political activist and a critic of Islamic fundamentalism. While he was translating Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses, he was targeted by Islamic organizations. Though Nesin escaped the Sivas massacre, he regretted the loss of lives in the fundamentalist attack till his death.
 6 
Sabahattin Ali
(Turkish Social Realist Author Known for His Short Stories)
Sabahattin Ali
3
Birthdate: February 25, 1907
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Ardino, Bulgaria
Died: April 2, 1948

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.

 7 
Yaşar Kemal
(Nobel Prize-Nominated Turkish Novelist)
Yaşar Kemal
2
Birthdate: October 6, 1923
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Gökçedam
Died: February 28, 2015

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.

 8 
Halide Edib Adıvar
(Iconic Turkish Novelist Who Was Also a Socio-Political and Women's Rights Activist)
Halide Edib Adıvar
2
Birthdate: June 11, 1884
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Beşiktaş, Turkey
Died: January 9, 1964

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.

 9 
Reșat Nuri Güntekin
(Turkish Novelist, Playwright, and Storywriter)
Reșat Nuri Güntekin
2
Birthdate: November 25, 1889
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Constantinople, Turkey
Died: December 7, 1956

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.

 10 
Oğuz Atay
(Turkish Novelist)
Oğuz Atay
2
Birthdate: October 12, 1934
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: İnebolu
Died: December 13, 1977

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. 

 11 
Ayşe Kulin
(Turkish Novelist, Screenwriter, Columnist, Cinematographer, and Producer)
Ayşe Kulin
2
Birthdate: August 26, 1941
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Istanbul, Turkey

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.

 12 
Zülfü Livaneli
(Turkish Poet, Musician, Film Director, Politician, and Author)
Zülfü Livaneli
1
Birthdate: June 20, 1946
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Ilgin, Konya, Turkey

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.

 13 
Sait Faik Abasıyanık
(Turkish Short-Story Writer and a Pioneer of Modern Turkish Literature)
Sait Faik Abasıyanık
1
Birthdate: November 18, 1906
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Adapazarı, Turkey
Died: May 11, 1954

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.

 14 
Ömer Seyfettin
(Turkish Author Who Is Remembered for His Short Stories)
Ömer Seyfettin
1
Birthdate: March 11, 1884
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Gohen, Turkey
Died: March 6, 1920

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.

 15 
Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu
(Turkish Journalist, Novelist, Diplomat, and Political Figure)
Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu
1
Birthdate: March 27, 1889
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Cairo, Egypt
Died: December 13, 1974

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.

 16 
Halit Ziya Uşaklıgil
(Turkish Poet, Playwright, and Author)
Halit Ziya Uşaklıgil
1
Birthdate: 1866 AD
Birthplace: İstanbul, Turkey
Died: March 27, 1945

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.

 17 
Necati Cumalı
(Turkish Novelist, Essayist and Poet)
Necati Cumalı
0
Birthdate: January 13, 1921
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Florina, Greece
Died: January 10, 2001

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.

 18 
Hüseyin Rahmi Gürpınar
(Turkish Writer, Politician, and Civil Servant)
Hüseyin Rahmi Gürpınar
0
Birthdate: August 17, 1864
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Istanbul, Turkey
Died: March 8, 1944

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.