My Name Is Red

From Nobel Prize winning author Orhan Pamuk comes a richly layered novel that blends mystery, romance, and philosophical reflection into a work often hailed as a modern classic. Set in the opulent yet tense world of sixteenth-century Istanbul, My Name Is Red explores the dangerous intersection of art, faith, and power.

At the command of the Sultan, a group of the empire’s finest artists is secretly assembled to create an extraordinary manuscript celebrating his reign. Their challenge is to adopt a European style of painting, an approach that risks violating religious doctrine, where figurative imagery can be seen as sacrilegious. The project must remain hidden, even from the highest circles of power.

When one of the miniaturists suddenly disappears, fear spreads among the artists. Was it an accident, or something more sinister? The only clues lie within the intricate, unfinished illustrations themselves.

Shifting between multiple voices and perspectives, the novel unfolds as both a gripping puzzle and a meditation on creativity, belief, and desire. My Name Is Red draws readers into a vivid world where art becomes both expression and transgression, and where beauty, devotion, and danger are inseparably entwined.

Translated from the Turkish by Erda M Göknar