Çiler İlhan

Çiler İlhan, a Turkish-Dutch writer, has been weaving her literary tapestry since her youth. Her journey as a writer took a significant turn in 1993 when she was honored with the Yaşar Nabi Nayır Youth Awards for one of her compelling short stories. Since then, she has consistently contributed to various newspapers and magazines, sharing her stories, essays, book reviews, travel pieces, and translations.

Her debut book, "Rüya Tacirleri Odası" ("Chamber of Dream Merchants"), published in April two thousand six, is a captivating collection of interrelated short stories. Following this, her second book, "Sürgün" ("Exile"), released in March two thousand ten, explores themes ranging from the invasion of Iraq to the experiences of women from Batman, and the fate of a laboratory. This remarkable work earned the EU Prize for Literature in two thousand eleven and has been translated into English by Istros Books in two thousand sixteen, reaching readers in over twenty countries.

In two thousand twenty-one, İlhan published "Nişan Evi" ("Engagement"), a poignant novella based on the true story of a mass murder in southeastern Turkey in May two thousand nine. Its English edition, set to be released in two thousand twenty-four, has already garnered attention as a finalist for the EBRD Literature Prize. Her latest novel, "Hayattayız Madem," published in two thousand twenty-three, spans from nineteen forty-three to two thousand eighteen, intertwining the lives of a father and his daughters with a Syrian refugee in their Istanbul neighborhood of Teşvikiye.

Ilhan's literary contributions have been recognized in over twenty prominent national and international anthologies. As a member of both Turkish and Dutch PEN, she continues to advocate for literature and the power of storytelling.