Famous authors

Nazım Hikmet (1902-1963)

Described as a "romantic communist" and "romantic revolutionary", he was repeatedly arrested for his political beliefs and spent much of his adult life in prison or in exile. His poetry has been translated into more than fifty languages.

Yaşar Kemal (1923-2015)

He was a writer and human rights activist of Kurdish origin. He received 38 awards during his lifetime and had been a candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature on the strength of Memed, My Hawk.

Aziz Nesin (1915-1995)

He was an humorist and author of more than 100 books. He was also a political activist and critical of Islam. He founded Nesin Foundation which take poor children every year and provide them education and shelter.

Orhan Pamuk (1974-)

One of Turkey's most prominent novelists, he was awarded Nobel Literature Prize in 2006. His work has sold over thirteen million books in 63 languages, making him the country's best-selling writer.

Elif Şafak (1971-)

Shafak writes in both Turkish and English, and has published 16 books including The Bastard of Istanbul and Three Daughters of Eve. Her books have been translated into 49 languages and she has been awarded the prestigious awards.

Yunus Emre (1238-1321)

Yunus Emre was a Turkish poet and Sufi mystic who greatly influenced Anatolian culture. He has exercised immense influence on Turkish literature, from his own day until the present.

Rıfat Ilgaz (1911-1993)

llgaz was one of Turkey’s best-known and most prolific poets and writers, having authored over sixty works. His most popular work is "Hababam Sınıfı" and its movie adaptation is considered the best comedy film in Turkey.

Adalet Ağaoğlu (1929-)

She is an author best known with her novels and stories. She is considered one of the best Turkish novelists of 20th century. She wrote about different periods of Turkish history and how these periods affected people's life.

Zülfü Livaneli (1946-)

He is a well known poet, author, musician and politician. Livaneli is known for his novels that interweave diverse social and historical backgrounds, figures, and incidents. His books were translated 37 languages.