Burhan Sönmez Books

Longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award This gorgeous, haunting saga tells the story of modern Turkey and its diverse communities through the life of a gravestone maker. In the city of Mardin, near Turkey’s border with Syria, the orphaned Avdo finds purpose when an old mason takes him on as an apprentice. From Master Josef, he learns the importance of their art, which looks after the dead and bears witness to their lives. Avdo then travels the country and meets a woman he loves wholeheartedly, only to lose her through a tragic crime. Resigned to a lonely existence, he retreats from the world into his cemetery workshop, but even there, life, with all its sorrows, joys, injustices, and gifts, draws him in unexpected directions. An intimate, indelible epic, Stone and Shadow melds fragments not only from twentieth-century Turkish history, but also from the Ottoman Empire, the wider Middle East, and Europe. Together they form a breathtaking picture of a rich, complex society that encompasses Christians, Sunni Muslims, Alawites, Turks, Kurds, and Armenians.

After a military coup, four prisoners sit below ground awaiting their turn at the hands of their wardens. Between interrogations, the condemned share parables and riddles about their beloved city to pass the time. Istanbul, Istanbul is a harrowing and riveting novel about the power of human imagination and compassion in the face of adversity.

Set against the backdrop of the Cold War, this inventive thriller intertwines love and revenge with a debate surrounding Franz Kafka's legacy. As student activists question the ethics of publishing Kafka's works against his wishes, an assassination attempt on his friend Max Brod leads to a gripping interrogation of Ferdy Kaplan. Through this process, Kaplan's past unfolds, revealing a deep connection to Kafka and a radical group. The narrative explores themes of anti-Semitism, immigration, and the significance of literature, all while vividly depicting a pivotal historical moment.

“Evet. Genç bir adam ormanda kaybolmuş. Günler sonra yaşlı birine rastlamış. Yaşlı adam da uzun zamandır ormanda kayıpmış ve genç adama çıkış yolunu birlikte aramayı önermiş. Olmaz, demiş genç adam, seninle zaman yitiremem, çıkış yolunu bilseydin şimdiye kadar bulurdun. Ama, demiş yaşlı adam, ben çıkmayan yolları öğrendim. Hikâye böyleydi, değil mi?” İntihar etmek isteyen genç bir müzisyen, gözünü hastanede açar. Hiçbir şey anımsamaz, şarkılarını bile. Toplumsal bellek ile kişisel belleğin birbirine karıştığı, her şeyin ölü bir tarihin parçası haline geldiği yerde, kuşku duymadığı tek gerçek vardır: Kaburgası kırık bedeni. Kendisine benzeyen bir kentte, unutmanın lanet mi yoksa lütuf mu olduğunu bilmeden, çıkış arar. Saatler, aynalar, deniz fenerleri. Labirent, yüzeyde hüzünle akan, derinde keskin akıntılara kapılan bir yeni çağ romanı.

Boratin, ein junger Musiker öffnet nach einem Selbstmordversuch in einem Istanbuler Krankenhaus die Augen. Er kann sich an nichts erinnern, nicht einmal an seine eigenen Lieder. Für ihn besteht kein Zweifel daran, dass die einzige Wahrheit sein geschundener Körper ist. Nicht wissend, ob das Vergessen nun Fluch oder Segen ist, begibt er sich nach draußen, auf die Suche nach sich und seiner Geschichte, mitten hinein in die flirrende Metropole am Bosporus, die ihm in ihrer Gebrochenheit und ihrer Geschichtsvergessenheit zum Erschrecken ähnlich ist. Wir folgen Boratin auf seiner Suche, und wissen dabei nie mehr, als er selbst. Seine unbeantworteten Fragen werden zu Fragen, nach deren Beantwortung wir selbst suchen. Der Titel des Romans ist dabei keine Übertreibung, denn in all dem Chaos gibt Burhan Sönmez seinen Lesern einzig seine unnachahmlich eindringliche und leise Sprache als Orientierungsmittel an die Hand. Ein Roman voller Traurigkeit und tiefer Strahlkraft vom Autor des Bestsellers »Istanbul, Istanbul«.