Up until two years ago Orhan Pamuk was identified by intellectuals worldwide as one of the greatest Turkish writers in history and one of the world’s most important novelists.
Pamuk s popularity soared following his controversial remarks about the Armenian and Kurdish genocide and the subsequent trial from which he was acquitted.
Today Pamuk is better known as the 2006 winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature -the first Turk ever to receive this honor.
The Daily Star Egypt caught up with Pamuk at the Cairo International Book Fair last Thursday at a seminar that kicked off with a shower of compliments but ended with a whiff of frustration.
Dressed in casual suit and looking relaxed, Pamuk began the discussion by talking about his family, literary origins and works.
Born in 1952 to a “westernized Istanbul family of engineers, Pamuk first wanted to be painter. He eventually studied architecture at the Istanbul Technical University., but suddenly dropped out and, much to the surprise of his parents and friends, decided to become a full-time writer instead of pursuing his old penchant for painting.
The idea of becoming a writer didn t appeal to his industrial family. Just like in Egypt, it was hard to begin a writing career and my family were worried and wondered what will become of me, Pamuk said in slightly broken, yet perfectly expressive and accurate English.
His first novel Mr. Cevdet and His Sons was published in 1982 received great acclaim and was an instant bestseller.
His first autobiographical novel Mr. Cevdet tells the story of three generations of a rich Istanbul family reminiscent of Naguib Mahfouz s Cairo Trilogy.
With his second novel The Silent Palace, Pamuk began to develop his craft, veering from the conventional method he used in his first book towards a more experimental style soon became his hallmark.
The White Castle , his first historical novel, was the real turning point of his career, earning him the prestigious Independent Award for Foreign Fiction in 1990.
Set in 17th century Turkey, The White Castle is a slow, short, difficult story about the relationship between an Italian scholar and his Ottoman master.
I found my voice with The White Castle , said Pamuk. My voice can be described as westernized experimental post-modernist combined with traditional Islamic literature.
Castle contained all the themes that would delineate the rest of his works and his literary persona as a whole. East vs. West, tradition vs. the modernity, the secular vs. the religious, the existential search for identity and the examination of Turkey s past and present.
Yet, despite these broad themes, Pamuk’s novels are always introspective, focusing on personal topics that comment on public and universal human issues.
My stories aren t socially driven, they re self-driven, he said. Literature is a way of talking about myself in a way that talks about others.
By the time his next novels The Black Book and The New Life were released, Pamuk was officially the biggest selling writer in Turkish history.
My Name s Red (2001) earned him literature s most rewarding prize, the Impac Dublin Literary award in 2003. The mysterious, romantic, historical, philosophical puzzle sees its narrator changing with every chapter while examining the role of art in Islam in a detailed historical chronicle of Turkey circa 16th century.
The majority of Egyptian Pamuk fans associate him with his only contentious political novel Snow released in 2002. The sad, social murder mystery broke the taboo of discussing the rights of the Armenians and Kurds and introduced a new dimension to Pamuk s works – the reaction to which he never desired or anticipated.
Snow’ is a political novel on the surface, he calmly responded to one question. At its’ core, it s a story about the relationship between happiness and society; how can you find happiness when everyone around you is unhappy? It s also about poetry and its role in these troubled times.
Before long the barrage of Snow -related questions began to take their toll on Pamuk, who showed signs of weariness when asked yet again about the East vs. West theme in Snow .
I don’t write about East and West in my novels; I write about myself and my environment, he nervously replied. I live in Istanbul and Istanbul is, by nature, a combination of East and West. Cultures are a mix of different things. We shouldn t look at our culture as different from that of others. I don t agree that cultures collide.
But the big explosion erupted when a foreign reporter asked Pumak about his famous trial, the death threats he received following the murder of the Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink and whether he believes Turkey is falling prey to the growing influence of Islamist extremists.
Moderator and author Mohammed Salmawy, declined to answer the question on Pamuk’s behalf saying: This is not a press conference to ask such political questions.
The atmosphere was contaminated further when another old fan of “Snow was offended that Pamuk eloquently shut him up when he told him that it was better to read the novels rather than inquire about them.
Right before the end of the heated debate, Pamuk was asked one last question about the message Snow advocated through its characters.
That was the last straw.
Flustered, Pamuk told him that he s presenting no message and that people should learn to separate between the beliefs of the characters and those of the author.
It was understandable why Pamuk was irritated by the time the seminar was over. Clearly most of the discussion revolved around a novel he was not fond of.
Nevertheless, neither Pamuk nor the Salmway had any right to snub attendees who asked political questions.
Pamuk s reputation has, and will always be, associated with his trial and unforgettable statements. As a Turk, you can t pretend you never declared that thirty thousand Kurds, and a million Armenians were killed in these lands and nobody dares to talk about it or imagine that your massive appeal is based solely on your artistic merit.
As the iconic fighter for freedom of expression, Pamuk will always remain a courageous, inspiring genius. But sadly, at least for the two hour-duration of this seminar, none of Pamuk’s actions exhibited any of that heroism.
