Esmahan Aykol was born in 1970 in Edirne, Turkey. She lives in Istanbul and Berlin. During her law studies she was a journalist for a number of Turkish publications and radio stations. After a stint as a bartender she turned to fiction writing. Three Kati Hirschel novels have been published in English. Hotel Bosphorus is the first and Baksheesh the second. They have been published in Turkish, German, French and Italian.
Hotel Bosphorus: 'A wonderful novel about Istanbul. The Turkish way of life, prejudices, men, politics, corruption - ...with a light and humorous touch.' Petros Markaris Baksheesh:'Fancy making a trip to Turkey, but can't quite afford the airfare? This could be the next best thing.' Shots Magazine