Exile is a collection of short stories with the taste of a novel which won the author the European Prize for Literature, 2011. Dedicated to those who have been alienated from their homeland, from their families or from society, this extraordinary collection offers readers short, vivid glimpses into other worlds. Be they of real or fictional characters, Ilhan builds a patchwork of stories which highlight the lives of the dispossessed. As a woman writing in modern day Turkey, she is not afraid to take on the themes of honour killings or the American occupation of Iraq, pouring her empathy and understanding into narratives that we usually only hear about through news reports and cold statistics.
I hadn’t read anything like this book before. I was astonished. I have tried to think of what could come closest to describing it. I suggest the American poetess, Claudine Rankin’s 2014 book, ‘Citizen: An American Lyric.’ Rankin’s book also often reads like horror poetry. ‘Exile’ shows Çiler’s astonishing range and her sensitivity to her environment.
Karen Van Drie, Global Literature in Libraries Initiative
”One word left my mouth after reading this collection: WOW. This collection of short stories, well I call them flash monologues myself as Ciler draws the world around her from the American army being in Iraq across the border and what that brings to Turkish life… The power in these collection is the clarity of the voice behind the stories…. very short but the power is in that the punch isn’t drawn out it just smacks you in the face and lets your jaw drop.”
Stu Allen, Winston’s Dad Blog
Winner of the European Prize for Literature, 2011
