Pamuk’s ‘Silent House’ on shortlist of Man Asian Prize

ISTANBUL

Orhan Pamuk’s ‘Silent House,’ which was first published in 1983, is a nominee for Man Asian Prize.

Turkish Nobel laureate author Orhan Pamuk’s novel “Sessiz Ev” (Silent House), which was first published in Turkey in 1983, has been included on the shortlist of the prestigious Man Asian Literary Prize. The book is one of five novels on the list.

Turkish writer Elif Şafak’s “Honor” had also been included among the 15 novels on the long list for the prize but was not selected as one of the top five.

Inaugurated in 2007, the Man Asian Literary prize is awarded to the best novel by an Asian writer, either written in or translated into English.

“Sessiz Ev” is the moving story of a family gathering the summer before the Turkish military coup of 1980.

Two novels included on the 2012 Man Booker Prize shortlist were recognized by the Man Asian Literary Prize judges, according to The Telegraph. Jeet Thayil’s debut novel, “Narcopolis,” explores the impact of opium addiction in 1970s Bombay.

Tan Twan Eng’s second novel, “The Garden of Evening Mists,” explores the exotic settings and mystical aspects of Japanese culture through the eyes of a young law graduate who encounters the secretive owner and creator of the only Japanese garden in Malaya.

Also shortlisted is Pakistani author Musharraf Ali Farooqi’s “Between Clay and Dust,” which tells the austerely written story of a former champion wrestler in an unnamed Pakistani city after the partition of India.

The fifth inclusion is Japanese writer Hiromi Kawakami’s “The Briefcase,” which traces the development of the relationship between a 38-year-old office worker and her former teacher.
The winner will be announced March 14.