Intro and first book - Young Turk by Moris Farhi

I have read so many books since leaving my last job, and I keep meaning to record my enthusiasms for some of them before I forget - for the benefit of those with less time who might miss them. So here we go!

My most recent good read is 'Young Turk', by Moris Farhi. It's a book of interwoven episodes about different but related people, all growing up in Turkey during or after World War 2. Some are comic, some have a lot of lyrical sexuality, and some are serious. I was reminded of Gabriel Garcia Marquez at first, as some have that 'magic surrealism' he was famous for, however the tone grew more serious and idealistic, alongside the poetry and comedy, as the book progressed. Farhi is Vice President of International PEN and campaigns for writers imprisoned for their beliefs. A passion emerges for a Turkey that was envisaged by Kemal Ataturk, of all the different peoples, religions and cultures in Turkey allowed to express themselves and yet united in being equally Turkish. This was thwarted by politics in the 50s, it seems, when 'Kemalism' meant everyone had to have the same culture and religion to be Turkish.

I learnt a lot about Turkey through this book, and felt it to have a similarity to modern Britain in the 'multi-culturalism' debate. Serious though this is, it's expressed in a lively, passionate and very readable way and I loved the book.