Istanbul Blues

The stories in Istanbul Blues are filled with Buket Uzuner’s remarkable sensitivity and psychological insight, taking us into the memories and imaginations of children and adults, and exploring shared history, love, and attachment—to family, friends, lovers, and places. Uzuner’s characters share stories that are mythical, mysterious, coincidental, witty, and full of wisdom, and her collection offers readers multiple, rich insights into life in modern Turkey as well as the places explored while traveling abroad. In the hands of an author who is a listener as much as a teller, no matter where they take place, these stories remind us of people we know and of ourselves.

Buket Uzuner trained as a biologist and environmental scientist, studying and working at universities in Turkey, Norway, Finland, and the United States. She has written numerous short stories, travelogues, and novels, and her books have been translated into eight languages and appeared on the Turkish national bestseller lists. She won the Yunus Nadi Prize for her novel The Sound of Fishsteps, and her novel Mediterranean Waltz was named the Best Novel of 1998 by the University of Istanbul. She was selected as one of the 75 Most Influential Women of the Republic of Turkey as part of the country’s 75th anniversary celebration.