Pamuk "My daily life is only writing... I write at least 8 hours a day"

Autobiographical Essay 'Gieok-ui Meon San' Publication Interview
Includes Self-Drawn Paintings... Childhood Dream Was Painter
"Jealous of Writers Who Write 3-4 Hours Daily and Do Other Work"
"Disagree with the View 'Nobel Prize = Writer's Pinnacle'"

Orhan Pamuk, a novelist from Turkey, received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2006. Although Pamuk had already reached the ranks of the world's greatest writers, he admitted that there were fellow authors he envied.

"There are types of writers I am jealous of. Those who write for three or four hours a day and spend the rest of the time doing other things."

Pamuk said he himself is not the type of person who writes quickly and then spends the remaining time reading books or meeting friends, nor could he be. His daily routine consists solely of writing. He added, "Some writers write slowly like turtles," and "They write for 8 to 10 hours a day."

Because his writing speed is slow, time is inevitably more precious to him. So he writes in a Moleskine notebook whenever he has a chance. The reason he particularly prefers Moleskine notebooks is that he can carry them in his pants pocket at all times.

"When I take a train, when I eat somewhere, I write in the notebook. When I wait for someone, when I am about to go out with my wife, I write while waiting for her. We all have pockets of time. People ask me how I find time, but it’s easy to make time like this. Everyone has these pockets of time."

Orhan Pamuk [Photo by Minumsa]

Collecting the daily diary entries written in his Moleskine notebook, he recently published an autobiographical essay titled Memories of the Distant Mountain (Minumsa). In a written interview with Asia Economy, Pamuk explained that Memories of the Distant Mountain is not a memoir but a diary. "A memoir is written after many years have passed, summarizing a certain period, whereas a diary is about writing each and every tree you see daily, not the forest."

Pamuk has been keeping a diary consistently since he was seven, thanks to his mother. "When I was seven, my mother gave me a diary as a gift. The diary had a lock on it. It meant, 'I am giving you a notebook, so write your most secret, intimate, and private things in this notebook. This is a special space where you can write such things.' A diary is personal; it is a space where you can freely express that you are different from others and have a conversation with yourself."

Pamuk said many famous people throughout history have published diaries, and he is simply joining that tradition.

"Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote a book called Confessions. That is not a diary but a memoir. The honesty with which he wrote everything makes you admire him, thinking, 'Ah, this person is truly great.' It is no exaggeration to say that Montaigne’s Essays and Rousseau’s Confessions form the foundation of Western and French literature. I want to be part of this tradition as well."

The book also includes drawings that Pamuk himself made. He dreamed of becoming a painter until he was 22. He said, "There is still a painter living inside my heart who wants to express himself."

Pamuk said his emotions differ when writing a diary and when drawing. "When I write a diary, I am a rational person. I think about meaning, construct sentences, generalize, and try to make it interesting. I am conscious of what I am doing. When I draw, I do not exactly know what I am doing. I just try to express something with colors. My state when writing and when drawing is completely different."

Pamuk said it is not unusual to paint while writing novels. "Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo wrote poetry, painted, and sculpted. The gap between painting and literature is a modern phenomenon."

Pamuk was born into a wealthy family in Istanbul, the capital of Turkey. After becoming a novelist, he became embroiled in a major controversy in 2005 during an interview with a Swiss media outlet when he mentioned the Armenian and Kurdish massacres of the Ottoman Empire. He was sued and faced threats to his life because of his remarks at the time.

Regarding his political convictions, Pamuk said, "People say I am brave. Maybe I am somewhat brave, but I hope they do not exaggerate. I also have fears. Fears like the Turkish president labeling me a terrorist and me not being able to return to my homeland. The president has imprisoned many writers, but perhaps the Nobel Prize in Literature protects me."

He also said that while a writer can write political novels, ultimately a writer is not a politician. He added that among the novels he has written, only Snow is a political novel. The written interview with Pamuk was conducted before the passage of the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol, and Pamuk mentioned that 75% of the Korean people are angry at the president and expressed hope that Koreans get what they want.

Orhan Pamuk [Photo by Minumsa]

Pamuk was 54 years old when he received the Nobel Prize in Literature. He said, "I was relatively young when I won."

This year, Han Kang also received the Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 54. Pamuk sent his congratulations to Han Kang, saying, "I read The Vegetarian and have already purchased Han Kang’s works translated into Turkish to read more soon."

He did not agree with the idea that the Nobel Prize in Literature is the pinnacle for a writer. He said, "I continued writing without creating a gap even after receiving the Nobel Prize. I think T.S. Eliot was said not to have produced good works after winning the Nobel Prize, but that is not the case with me." He named his three best novels as The Black Book, My Name is Red, and The Stranger Within My Heart. The Black Book and My Name is Red were published in 1990 and 1998 respectively, but The Stranger Within My Heart was released in 2014, after he won the Nobel Prize in Literature.