The Bastard of Istanbul. New York: Viking, 2007.

ELIF SHAFAK (b.1971)
The Bastard of Istanbul. New York: Viking, 2007.
‘Though books were potentially harmful, novels were all the more dangerous’: first edition in English, signed twice by the author on the title and annotated with 140 words across 30 pages. The Bastard of Istanbul is the sixth novel by one of Turkey’s bestselling authors and her second written in English. In 2006, Shafak was implicated in a legal battle with nationalist lawyers over the publication of the novel, and was accused of insulting Turkish identity but the charges were later dropped. The novel is an evocative exploration of Turkish history and identity, centring around Asya and Armanoush – two girls from different backgrounds who are linked in unexpected ways. Asya, from Istanbul, is illegitimate and unaware of the identity of her father, while Armanoush is an Armenian-American who journeys to Turkey to discover more about her family’s painful history.

Shafak’s marginal notes highlight real places which inspired the plot of this cross-cultural novel, including San Francisco, Istanbul and Tucson, where she teaches at the University of Arizona. These notes contain personal insights, alluding to the author’s experience as a foreigner in America: ‘Where are you from?’ – ‘How many times have I heard this?’. The author underlines pertinent quotations and passages, pointing out the importance of music in the novel and highlighting writers she admires, including James Baldwin and Armenian author Zabel Yessaian (‘amazing writer’). Shafak also draws comparisons with her other bestselling novels, including her most recent, The Island of Missing Trees.

Octavo. Original black paper-backed blue boards, silver lettering to the spine, dust jacket.

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