My guest today, is an author from Turkiye, Firat Sunel. He is a career diplomat. He is currently the Turkish Ambassador to India.

Firat is a demonstrably fascinating novelist. His latest novel, “The Lighthouse Family”, is a wonderful example of storytelling, of craft and of everything literary. I venture to say without qualification that it is one of the best novels I have read in recent years.

Because this novel embraces a universally-resonant human sentiment, it makes it relatable across cultures, to anyone anywhere, even if the story it tells is set deep in rural Turkiye.

We'll delve into the unique blend of ethnic authenticity and international appeal that characterizes contemporary Turkish literature, tracing its evolution from folk tales to modern intellectual prose. From the reforms of Kamal Atatürk to the global recognition spurred by Orhan Pamuk's Nobel Prize, Turkish literature has garnered increasing attention on the world stage.

Firat Sunel is a product of the rich Turkish literary heritage.

I had the opportunity of a conversation with him (together with the Lithuanian Ambassador Diana Mickevičienė) live at the Bangalore Literature Festival; and today I have the privilege of having him as my guest here—another conversation I am eager to have.

To that end, joining me from his home in New Delhi is the Ambassador to India from Turkiye, Firat Sunel.

Buy THE LIGHTHOUSE FAMILY: https://amzn.to/47NB3hh

ABOUT FIRAT SUNEL

Turkish diplomat, lawyer, scriptwriter, and author he studied law at Istanbul University and did his postgraduate at Bochum ruhr university in Germany. As a diplomat, he served in several countries and is now in New Delhi as Turkiye’s ambassador to India

His novels include Salkım Söğütlerin Gölgesinde [In the Shade of the Weeping Willows, 2011] which inspired a tV series called Büyük Sürgün Kafkasya [The Great Exile Caucasia], İzmirli [Izmirli, My Last Love, 2015] and Sarpıncık Feneri [The Lighthouse Family, 2020].

WHAT'S THAT WORD?!

Co-host Pranati "Pea" Madhav joins Ramjee Chandran in the fun etymology segment, "WHAT'S THAT WORD?!" where they discuss the word “DIPLOMAT”.

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