Z lf Livaneli is Turkey's bestselling author, a celebrated composer and film director, and a political activist. Widely considered one of the most important Turkish cultural figures of our time, he is known for his novels that interweave diverse social and historical backgrounds, figures, and incidents, including the critically acclaimed Bliss (winner of the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Award), Serenade for Nadia (Other Press, 2020), Leyla's House, and My Brother's Story, which have been translated into thirty-seven languages, won numerous international literary prizes, and been turned into movies, stage plays, and operas. Brendan Freelywas born in Princeton in 1959 and studied psychology at Yale University. His translations includeTwo Girlsby Perihan Mağden,The Gazeby Elif Şafak, andLike a Sword Woundby Ahmet Altan.
In this soulful novel, Zulfu Livaneli presents a touching human story that unfolds alongside the real-life horrors of terrorist war. Set in and around the ancient crossroads city of Mardin--one of my favorite places in the world--it is both timeless and urgently contemporary. Disquiet is as rich in character and imagery as it is potent in moral clarity. --Stephen Kinzer, author of Crescent and Star: Turkey Between Two Worlds A journalist investigates his friend's murder and learns the truth about the brutality of war, religious intolerance, cultural chauvinism, hate, sacrifice, and love. Livaneli is a brilliant Turkish writer with a voice and a message that must be heard globally. --Mahbod Seraji, author of Rooftops of Tehran On the surface, Disquiet is a quest narrative that follows a man searching for answers about a friend's horrific death, but beneath that framework pulse probing questions about the mortal cost of prejudice, the chasm between East and West, the mystery of obsession, and the necessity of recognizing our shared humanity. It is a slim dagger of a book that cuts deep. --Keija Parssinen, author of The Ruins of Us Praise for Zulfu Livaneli: Livaneli is an essential force in Turkey's musical, cultural, and political scene. --Orhan Pamuk Heartbreakingly vivid...Livaneli's passion in exposing Turkey's and the West's culpability in real massacres is eloquent...hard to forget. --Kirkus Reviews [Livaneli] offer[s] insights into Turkey's rich cultural, political, ethnic, and religious divides...a forceful plea for openness and tolerance. --Publishers Weekly