Pamuk, Orhan

Turkish author, born and grew up in Istanbul, Nisantasi, in an affluent middle-class family. The father was a civil engineer, as was Orhan’s grandfather, who laid the foundations for the family’s fortune. After graduating from school – the secular American Robert College – Pamuk studied Architecture and Journalism. Until he was 22, he devoted himself to painting and dreamt of becoming an artist. Three years into his Architecture studies, he dropped out and only continued with Journalism. He gained a university degree, but never worked as a journalist. Instead he concentrated solely on becoming an author. From 22 to 30 years of age, Orhan lived with his mother so that he could finish his first novel.