Orhan Pamuk is a renowned author, born on June 7, 1952, in Istanbul, Turkey. He grew up in a large family in the wealthy westernized district of Nisantasi, which would later become the setting for some of his novels. From his childhood until the age of 22, Pamuk was dedicated to painting and had aspirations of becoming an artist. However, after graduating from the Robert College in Istanbul, he studied architecture at Istanbul Technical University for three years before abandoning it. He then went on to graduate in journalism from Istanbul University, although he never worked as a journalist.
Pamuk decided to become a novelist at the age of 23 and retreated into his flat to begin writing. His first novel, "Cevdet Bey and His Sons," was published seven years later in 1982, which told the story of three generations of a wealthy Istanbul family living in Nisantasi. The novel won the Orhan Kemal and Milliyet literary prizes. Pamuk's international fame began with the publication of "The White Castle" in 1985, which described the frictions and friendship between a Venetian slave and an Ottoman scholar. He then spent three years in America as a visiting scholar at Columbia University in New York from 1985 to 1988. During this time, he wrote most of his novel "The Black Book," which won the Prix France Culture in 1990.
Pamuk's novels are known for their exploration of Istanbul's streets, past, chemistry, and texture. His books "The New Life," "My Name Is Red," and "Snow" have won numerous awards and critical acclaim. In 2006, Pamuk was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Despite his critical stance towards the Turkish state in articles about human rights and freedom of thought, Pamuk remains one of Turkey's most celebrated authors, both in his home country and internationally.