Ahmet Altan, one of today's most important Turkish writers and journalists, was arrested in September 2016 and is serving a life sentence on false charges. An advocate for Kurdish and Armenian minorities and a strong voice of dissent in his country, his arrest and conviction received widespread international criticism (51 Nobel laureates signed an open letter to Turkey's president calling for Altan's release). Altan is the author of ten novels--all bestsellers in Turkey--and seven books of essays. In 2009 he received the Freedom and Future of the Media Prize from the Media Foundation of Sparkasse Leipzig, and in 2011 he was awarded the International Hrant Dink Award. The international bestseller Endgame was his English-language debut, and was named one of the fifty notable works of fiction of 2017 by The Washington Post. Like a Sword Wound is the winner of the prestigious Yunus Nadi Novel Prize in Turkey.
Ahmet Altan is one of the foremost voices in Turkish literature and has much to say to the world. -- Elif Shafak An impassioned, captivating dance, a waltz between death and desire that does not release you for even a single moment. -- Philippe Sands Sweeping and superbly written, Love in the Days of Rebellion sheds light on one of the most painful and overlooked chapters of Ottoman history, perfectly combining literature and historiography. -- Medioriente e dintorni The entire novel radiates with extreme beauty. * Critica Letteraria * A breathless portrait of late-19th century Istanbul-the corrupt, violent and authoritarian core of a failing empire. * Asymptote (on Like a Sword Wound) * A really powerful book. It's epic, but it also reminded me of Joyce's Dubliners: there's an intimacy there with characters and places... * BBC Radio 3 - Free Thinking (on Like a Sword Wound) *