The cover of ‘A Mind at Peace’
Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar’s A Mind at Peace, originally published in 1949, has been described as “a magnum opus, a Turkish Ulysses, and a lyrical homage to Istanbul,” but until now, it has only been enjoyed by those with a command of Turkish.
With the support of the Duke University Center for International Studies, Erdağ Göknar, Assistant Professor of Turkish Studies within the Department of Slavic and Eurasian Studies, has completed an English translation of Tanpinar’s tale of love and cultural transition, set in the turbulent days prior to the outbreak of World War II.
The reviews have been overwhelmingly lauditory:
It has taken nearly 60 years for an English translation to be released. I for one believe it presents a beautifully melodic picture of Istanbul and the Bosphorus during a crossroad of Turkish and world history. We shouldn’t have had to wait this long for such an important work.
— Literary Fiction Review
Tanpinar’s lyricism and resonant plot will leave U.S. readers wondering why they’ve had to wait so long to read this exquisite novel.
— Publisher’s Weekly (Starred Review)
DUCIS is proud to announce that Professor Göknar’s translation of A Mind at Peace is now available, published by Archipelago books.
Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar has been noted as the most prominant Turkish novelist of the twentieth century. Born in Istanbul, he traveled widely in Anatolia before returning to Istanbul in 1919, after the First World War, to study literature with the poet laureate Yahya Kemal. Deeply influenced by Paul Valéry and Bergson, Tanpınar created a cultural universe in his work, bringing together Western forms of writing and the sensibilities of a decadent Ottoman culture. He taught aesthetics, mythology, and literature at the University of Istanbul.
Erdağ Göknar is assistant professor of Turkish Studies at Duke University. He holds an MFA in creative writing and a Ph.D. in Near and Middle East Studies. He received, with Orhan Pamuk, the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award for his English translation of Pamuk’s My Name is Red in 2003. He is also the recipient a Fulbright fellowship and an NEA translation grant.
