by Elif Shafak
Dede This word has two meanings in Turkish: grandfather and a senior religious person, usually in a tarikat
Halva A traditional Turkish sweet made from nuts and honey
Hidrellez Turkish festival symbolizing spring and new life, during which women write down their wishes on paper and tie them to red roses
Hizma Decorative nose stud
Houris of heaven The virgins in heaven
Jinni/jinn An Islamic term meaning invisible spirit, mentioned in the Qur’an and believed by Muslims to inhabit the earth, influencing mankind by appearing in the form of humans or animals
Kader Fortune
Katzenjammer Loud noise from various sources; from the German word, meaning anxiety or jitters following intoxication
Lodos The famous wind in Istanbul that blows in from the sea and is said to cause dizziness
Mezes A variety of small dishes served instead of a main course
Ney A reed flute played especially in Mawlawi music
Oleaster One of several shrubs of the genus Elaegnus with yellow flowers followed by olive-like fruits containing a powdery dust
Rakι Turkish spirit of aniseed flavour
Simit A pastry baked in the shape of a circle with a hole in the centre
Tarikat Mystical sisterhoods / brotherhoods of Muslims that were historically separate from the mainstream
Zurna A shrill Turkish pipe used to accompany drums
He just wanted a decent book to read ...
Not too much to ask, is it? It was in 1935 when Allen Lane, Managing Director of Bodley Head Publishers, stood on a platform at Exeter railway station looking for something good to read on his journey back to London. His choice was limited to popular magazines and poor-quality paperbacks – the same choice faced every day by the vast majority of readers, few of whom could afford hardbacks. Lane’s disappointment and subsequent anger at the range of books generally available led him to found a company – and change the world.
We believed in the existence in this country of a vast reading public for intelligent books at a low price, and staked everything on it’
Sir Allen Lane, 1902–1970, founder of Penguin Books
The quality paperback had arrived – and not just in bookshops. Lane was adamant that his Penguins should appear in chain stores and tobacconists, and should cost no more than a packet of cigarettes.
Reading habits (and cigarette prices) have changed since 1935, but Penguin still believes in publishing the best books for everybody to enjoy.We still believe that good design costs no more than bad design, and we still believe that quality books published passionately and responsibly make the world a better place.
So wherever you see the little bird – whether it’s on a piece of prize-winning literary fiction or a celebrity autobiography, political tour de force or historical masterpiece, a serial-killer thriller, reference book, world classic or a piece of pure escapism – you can bet that it represents the very best that the genre has to offer.
Whatever you like to read – trust Penguin.
www.penguin.co.uk
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PENGUIN BOOKS
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First published in Turkey as Bit Palas by Metis Yayinlari in 2002
First published in Great Britain and in the USA by Marion Boyars Publishers Ltd in 2004
Published in Penguin Books 2010
Copyright © Elif Shafak, 2004, 2005
This translation copyright © from the Turkish by Müge Göçek, 2004
The moral right of the author and of the translator has been asserted
All rights reserved
ISBN: 978-0-14-196137-8
* ‘Allah bas, baqiya hawas’ means ‘God is strength, the rest is folly’ and Ottoman cel sulus script is a historical Turkish script of the Ottoman Empire.
* It is believed that the Trumpet of Israfil will be heard on the Day of Judgement.
* Meryem means Mary in Turkish and ‘Meryem, Musa, Muhammet’ is a trilogy referring to the three monotheist religions (Mary, Moses and Muhammet are the names of the family members).
* According to the Muslim faith, in order to create the universe Allah uttered ‘BE!’
