Kemal Kuray is lucky to escape with his life after his beloved F-16 hurtles to the ground in a test flight. Convalescence comes in the form of a comfortable monthly allowance and an opulent apartment in a mysterious neighborhood of Istanbul, inexplicably left to him by an acquaintance in the Air Force.But there’s a price to pay. His Edgar Allen Poe-obsessed benefactor sets him on a wild goose chase from the back streets of Istanbul to the broad avenues of Buenos Aires, and finally to Poe’s grave in Baltimore. But what exactly is Kemal searching for? Missing persons, yes, but there’s more – he is looking for the embodiment of Poe’s most famous poem, “Annabel Lee”, “to love and be loved.”Selçuk Altun was born in Artvin, Turkey in 1950. He is a retired banking executive and bibliophile. His works include The Sultan of Byzantium, Songs My Mother Never Taught Me and Many and Many a Year Ago. He lives in Istanbul.
Selçuk Altun Books
Selçuk Altun is an author for whom reading is as crucial as writing. He immersed himself in thousands of books before embarking on his own literary journey, a process that instilled the confidence needed to create. Altun emphasizes setting as much as character in his novels, drawing inspiration from special voyages that nurture his creative process. He views himself not as a writer, but as 'a person who writes,' channeling all his book royalties into a scholarship fund for literature students.



Songs My Mother Never Taught Me
- 212 pages
- 8 hours of reading
After the death of his overbearing mother, the privileged Arda reclines in his wealth, reflecting on his young life, and on the life of his father, the famous mathematician Mürsel Ergenekon, who was murdered on Arda's fourteenth birthday. While on the other side of the city ‘your humble servant’ Bedirhan has decided to pack in his ten-year career as an assassin.Their two lives become intrinsically bound in this remarkable thriller that takes us through the streets of Istanbul. We learn that Bedirhan in fact killed Arda's father, and that they share more in common than he or we could imagine.Meanwhile, Selçuk Altun, a former family friend, is playing a deadly game, providing Arda with clues to track down his father's killer.Selçuk Altun was born in Artvin, Turkey in 1950. He lives in Istanbul and is a retired banking executive and bibliophile.
Two men are drawn together as their lives spiral out of control in this arresting thriller, set in the shadows of Istanbul's old quarter.