ГОЛЕМИОТ АХМЕТ УМИТ Е КНИЖЕВНАТА ЅВЕЗДА ШТО ДОАЃА НА „BOOKSTAR“ 2025

THE GREAT AHMET ÜMIT IS THE LITERARY STAR COMING TO "BOOKSTAR" 2025 ШТО ДОАЃА НА „BOOKSTAR“ 2025

Skopje, September 16th, 20205 - It is with great pleasure that we announce that the Turkish writer Ahmet Ümit Ahmet Ümit will be a special guest at the BookStar Festival, as part of the program of foreign authors who have left a significant mark on world literature.

Ahmet Ümit is one of the most important and widely-read contemporary Turkish writers, known for his detective novels but also for his deep reflection on historical, political, social and mythological themes in his work, which makes him a unique phenomenon in European literature. Here is how he himself explains his work in an interview from 2024: "I was not aware that I was writing crime fiction. A person usually decides: 'I will write a philosophical, love, historical novel'. He has a direction, he knows what he wants. I was not like that. Later, someone said to me: 'You write crime novels.' From the age of 14 to 30, I had a very dynamic life. I was active politically from 1974 to 1990. That period was cruel to me. I was wounded, shot, I left the country with a false passport; I literally lived like James Bond. So, after such a past, of course you would write in that way."

He was born in Gaziantep, Turkey, in 1960. He received his education at the Department of Public Administration at Marmara University. In the period between 1985 and1986, he studied political science at the Academy of Social Sciences in Moscow. In 1989, he published his first literary work - a poetry collection. The novel "Fog and Night" from 1996 is considered a masterpiece of detective literature.

Ümit does not only write novels and short stories, but is also the author of graphic novels, and also, some of his books have been adapted for film, television and theater. He has also received the name of the “Turkish master” of crime thrillers filled with impressive historical and social background. His works have been translated into many languages, and the influence of his work is felt all over the world. The film „"Farewell, My Beautiful Homeland" was made according to a script he wrote.

In 2006, thanks to the novels „"Patasana" and „Ninatta's Bracelet,, was elected a member of the Turkish Institute of Antiquities, and in 2023 he was elected a member of the German Archaeological Institute. He was also the host of the TV show "The City You Live In" dedicated to raising awareness of urban culture, preserving the history of cities and developing multiculturalism.

His social media presence is impressive, with nearly 900,000 followers on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) and 180,000 followers on Instagram. This year, Ümit had a US tour, during which he gave lectures at the California Language Academy in Los Angeles and at the Stanford University in San Francisco.

Ahmet Ümit’s appearance at the BookStar festival has been announced under the title "The Master is Here!" and is in collaboration with "Ramstore Mall". In the exclusive encounter with the famous Turkish writer, he will talk about his rich work, the inspirations behind his books and the role of literature in society, and will also raise the question of the connection between history, culture and urban myths in his works, as well as the global response to his prose, translated into more than thirty-five languages. More detailed information about the date, location and program will be announced soon.

Twelve of his twenty books have been translated into Macedonian so far, which is a confirmation of his immense popularity in Macedonia, where he is known as the author behind "Memento for Istanbul",a story with which the reader magically gains the power to travel in time. Seven murders, seven rulers, seven coins and seven historical monuments, connected through the history of one of the most mysterious and impressive cities in the world.

Ahmet Ümit joins the long list of renowned and well-known authors from all over Europe who have participated in BookStar so far: Jela Krečić-Žižek, Jussi Adler-Olsen, Slavenka Drakulić, Michal Viveg, Kader Abdollah, Evgenij Vodolazkin, Marko Šelić Marcello, Nicolo Amaniti, Sofia Lundberg, Írsa Sigrdardóttir, Sjón, Vlada Urošević, Svetlana Alexievich, Igor Štiks, Kristina Gavran, Najat el Hacmi, Miljenko Jergović, Stefan Hertmans, Kristijan Novak, Jon Kalman Stefansson, Zdravka Evtimova, José Luis Peixoto, etc.

Other festival participants announced by the author so far:

Aleksandar Prokopiev (1953), a Macedonian contemporary classic, winner of the international Balkanika award for the novel "The Tiny Human"”(2011)..

Olivera Kjorveziroska (1965), current winner of the “Racin” Award 2025 for the novel "Three Marys".

Ondřej Štindl (Czech Republic, 1966), winner of the prestigious Ferdinand Peroutka Award for his great role in the media and culture and Czech representative for the European Union Prize for Literature for the novel "So Much Ash".

Meinhard Rauchensteiner (Austria, 1970), Head of the Department of Science, Arts and Culture of the President of Austria and author of five collections of short stories and short fiction.

Kalina Maleska (1975), the current winner of the lavko Janevski Foundation - “Novel of the Year Award” 2024 for the novel “The World I Chose”.

Petra Klabouchová (Czech Republic, 1980), Czech writer and journalist who has also worked as a music manager for rock artists including Hollywood Vampires (Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp and Joe Perry). Hollywood Vampires (Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp and Joe Perry).

Žarko Kujundjiski (1980) current winner of the “Stale Popov” Award 2024 for best prose book, for the short story collection Storyteller.

Sholeh Rezazadeh (Iran/Netherlands, 1989) winner of the “Special Mention” of the European Union Prize for Literature (2024) for the novel “I Know a Mountain That Is Waiting For Me”

Ivan Antonovski (1990), current winner of the 2024 “Vančo Nikoleski” Award for Best Children's Book for "Kisses in the Sky".

Dijana Petrova (1992), current winner of the prestigious award for best short story "Živko Čingo" (2025).

The “BookStar” 202 festival is held under the slogan "On the Writing’ Matters" and is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, "Komercijalna Banka” and the publishing house "Antolog", with individual events and guest appearances are also realized with the support of the European Union Prize for Literature the Embassies of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, as well as the Czech Literary Center. “Skopsko” is the official festival drink. The poster design is created by Gordana Vrencoska. The Macedonian Radio Television is the media sponsor of the event.