Orhan Pamuk

Orhan Pamuk - Novelists, Life Achievements and Family

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Orhan Pamuk Biography Stories 

Orhan Pamuk's Personal Details

Orhan Pamuk is a Nobel Prize-winner author

InformationDetail
BirthdayJune 7, 1952
NationalityTurkish
FamousNobel Laureates In Literature, Writers, Novelists
SpousesAylin Türegün (m. 1982), div. 2001) Kiran Desai
Siblingsevket Pamuk, Hümeyra Pamuk (half-sister), S
Known asFerit Orhan Pamuk
ChildrensRüya
Universities
  • Robert College Secondary School
  • University of Istanbul
  • Istanbul Technical University
Birth PlaceIstanbul, Turkey
ReligionCultural Muslim
Height163
GenderMale
Net Worth$0.96 Million as of March 21,2017
Sun SignGemini
Born inIstanbul, Turkey

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Orhan Pamuk's photo

Who is Orhan Pamuk?

Books like ‘My Name is Red’, ‘The Museum of Innocence’ and ‘Snow’ carved a niche in the literary world and earned Orhan Pamuk the rightful Nobel Prize for Literature. Among numerous other illustrious writers of Turkey, Pamuk became the first ever author to have sold over eleven million books in over sixty different languages and to receive the highest literary accolade. Not only has he left an ineffaceable impression on his countrymen but has also made a mark across the world, with his publications reflecting his dreamy philosophies and his rich Turkish heritage. He is currently a professor in the Humanities Department at the University of Columbia and has recently joined the postmodern literature movement. However, his successful career was not short-of its snares and hazards. He was put on trial for expressing his opinion about the Armenian Genocide, which led to a number of his works and publications being burnt and he also became a target for numerous assassination attempts. A controversial personality in his native, Turkey, he seems to have a desire to expose the degradation of the Turkish society, publicly stirring issues like ethnicity, history, race and other elements that are considered distasteful in Turkey.

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Childhood & Early Life

Orhan Pamuk was born in Istanbul and was raised in a wealthy family. He was educated at Robert College secondary school and then went on to study architecture at the Istanbul Technical University.

After three years, he left architecture school and focused his energies on writing. Thereafter, he shifted to the Institute of Journalism at the University of Istanbul and graduated from there in 1976. Soon, he began writing his first novel, ‘Darkness and Light’, while living with his mother.

Career

His first novel, ‘Darkness and Light’ went on to become a co-winner of the 1979 Milliyet Press Novel Contest, along with Mehmet Eroglu. He won a number of critical prizes for his early work, which motivated him to write more.

He authored the historical novel, ‘The White Castle’ in 1985, which also received numerous awards. His reputation began to soar around this time and extended beyond the geographical boundaries of Turkey.

In 1990, he authored ‘The Black Book’, which became one of the most popular yet the most controversial reads at the time. Following the success of this novel, he went on to write the screenplay for the movie, ‘Secret Face’, based on this novel. By this time, Pamuk had already become a high-profile celebrity in Turkey.

In 1995, he published his book of essays, titled, ‘Other Colors’ which augmented his international reputation. It sky-rocketed even more with the publication of ‘My Name is Red’, which is also considered to be one of his greatest works.

One book after another, Pamuk was gaining immense popularity, which increased manifold with the publication of ‘Snow’ in 2002. Around this time, he also began to dabble with writing memoirs and travelogues and produced ‘Istanbul-Memories and the City’ in 2005.

In 2005, he made a statement about the Armenian Genocide, for which he was prosecuted. Although the charges were dropped on January 22, 2006, angry protesters and large mobs threatened to kill him and many of his works were even burnt.

In 2007, he was invited to be one of the jury members at the Cannes Film Festival.

In 2008, he completed his novel, The Museum of Innocence- it was the first novel he published after receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2006.

In 2008, he went to the United States to teach comparative literature at the University of Columbia. He was also a writer-in-residence at Bard College around the same time.

Despite the case being dropped, Pamuk was convicted for insulting the honor of his people and the people of Armenia when he commented on the Armenian Genocide and eventually, had to pay a fine of 6,000 liras on March 27, 2011.

Although he was both feted and attacked for his works in Turkey, he continued to write and managed to retain popularity through his writings across the globe.

Major Works

‘Yeni Hayat’, translated as ‘The New Life’ in English, was one of Pamuk’s best-sellers and was published in 1994. It has been rated as one of his most ‘poignant’ works and sold over 2,00,000 copies in the first week of its publication.

‘My Name is Red’ is a blend of mystery, romance and philosophy and is set in 16th century Istanbul. The book has been translated in three different languages and has also been the recipient of a number of lucrative awards.

Awards & Achievements

Orhan Pamuk was conferred the prestigious ‘International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award’ in 2003.

He was awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature.

He was awarded the Sonning Prize for his literary contributions in 2012.

Personal Life & Legacy

On March 1, 1982, he married Aylin Turegun, a historian and they have a daughter, Ruya. However, their marriage ended in a divorce in 2001.

In 2010, he publicly announced that he was in a relationship with the Man Booker Prize-recipient, Kiran Desai.

Trivia

This award-winning Turkish novelist often uses his elder brother, Sevket, as a fictional character in his works.

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Orhan Pamuk's awards

YearNameAward

Other

1984Madarali Novel Prize (Turkey) for his novel Sessiz Ev
1990Independent Foreign Fiction Prize (United Kingdom) for his novel Beyaz Kale
1991Prix de la Découverte Européenne (France) for the French edition of Sessiz Ev : La Maison de Silence
1991Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival (Turkey) for Best Original Screenplay
1995Prix France Culture (France) for his novel 2002 - Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger (France) for his novel
2002Premio Grinzane Cavour (Italy) for his novel 2003 - International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award (Ireland) for his novel
2005Peace Prize of the German Book Trade
2005Prix Médicis étranger (France) for his novel 2006 - Washington University's Distinguished Humanist Award
2006Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
2008Ovidius Prize
2010Norman Mailer Prize
0Lifetime Achievement 2012 - Sonning Prize
02006 Nobel Prize in Literature
0 1979 - Milliyet Press Novel Contest Award (Turkey) for his novel Karanlık ve Işık (co-winner)
0 1983 - Orhan Kemal Novel Prize (Turkey) for his novel Cevdet Bey ve Oğulları

Orhan Pamuk biography timelines

  • // 7th Jun 1952
    Orhan Pamuk was born in Istanbul and was raised in a wealthy family. He was educated at Robert College secondary school and then went on to study architecture at the Istanbul Technical University.
  • // 1979
    His first novel, ‘Darkness and Light’ went on to become a co-winner of the 1979 Milliyet Press Novel Contest, along with Mehmet Eroglu. He won a number of critical prizes for his early work, which motivated him to write more.
  • // 1st Mar 1982 To 2001
    On March 1, 1982, he married Aylin Turegun, a historian and they have a daughter, Ruya. However, their marriage ended in a divorce in 2001.
  • // 1985
    He authored the historical novel, ‘The White Castle’ in 1985, which also received numerous awards. His reputation began to soar around this time and extended beyond the geographical boundaries of Turkey.
  • // 1990
    In 1990, he authored ‘The Black Book’, which became one of the most popular yet the most controversial reads at the time. Following the success of this novel, he went on to write the screenplay for the movie, ‘Secret Face’, based on this novel. By this time, Pamuk had already become a high-profile celebrity in Turkey.
  • // 1994
    ‘Yeni Hayat’, translated as ‘The New Life’ in English, was one of Pamuk’s best-sellers and was published in 1994. It has been rated as one of his most ‘poignant’ works and sold over 2,00,000 copies in the first week of its publication.
  • // 1995
    In 1995, he published his book of essays, titled, ‘Other Colors’ which augmented his international reputation. It sky-rocketed even more with the publication of ‘My Name is Red’, which is also considered to be one of his greatest works.
  • // 2002 To 2005
    One book after another, Pamuk was gaining immense popularity, which increased manifold with the publication of ‘Snow’ in 2002. Around this time, he also began to dabble with writing memoirs and travelogues and produced ‘Istanbul-Memories and the City’ in 2005.
  • // 2003
    Orhan Pamuk was conferred the prestigious ‘International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award’ in 2003.
  • // 2005 To 22nd Jan 2006
    In 2005, he made a statement about the Armenian Genocide, for which he was prosecuted. Although the charges were dropped on January 22, 2006, angry protesters and large mobs threatened to kill him and many of his works were even burnt.
  • // 2006
    He was awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature.
  • // 2007
    In 2007, he was invited to be one of the jury members at the Cannes Film Festival.
  • // 2008
    In 2008, he completed his novel, The Museum of Innocence- it was the first novel he published after receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2006.
  • // 2008
    In 2008, he went to the United States to teach comparative literature at the University of Columbia. He was also a writer-in-residence at Bard College around the same time.
  • // 2010
    In 2010, he publicly announced that he was in a relationship with the Man Booker Prize-recipient, Kiran Desai.
  • // 27th Mar 2011
    Despite the case being dropped, Pamuk was convicted for insulting the honor of his people and the people of Armenia when he commented on the Armenian Genocide and eventually, had to pay a fine of 6,000 liras on March 27, 2011.
  • // 2012
    He was awarded the Sonning Prize for his literary contributions in 2012.

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Orhan Pamuk's FAQ

  • What is Orhan Pamuk birthday?

    Orhan Pamuk was born at 1952-06-07

  • Where is Orhan Pamuk's birth place?

    Orhan Pamuk was born in Istanbul, Turkey

  • What is Orhan Pamuk nationalities?

    Orhan Pamuk's nationalities is Turkish

  • Who is Orhan Pamuk spouses?

    Orhan Pamuk's spouses is Aylin Türegün (m. 1982), div. 2001) Kiran Desai

  • Who is Orhan Pamuk siblings?

    Orhan Pamuk's siblings is evket Pamuk, Hümeyra Pamuk (half-sister), S

  • Who is Orhan Pamuk childrens?

    Orhan Pamuk's childrens is Rüya

  • What was Orhan Pamuk universities?

    Orhan Pamuk studied at Robert College Secondary School, University of Istanbul, Istanbul Technical University

  • What is Orhan Pamuk's religion?

    Orhan Pamuk's religion is Cultural Muslim

  • How tall is Orhan Pamuk?

    Orhan Pamuk's height is 163

  • What is Orhan Pamuk's sun sign?

    Orhan Pamuk is Gemini