Zülfü Livaneli, Turkey’s No.1 bestselling author, is to be represented by PFD agent, Elizabeth Sheinkman. Considered one of the most significant and influential public intellectuals of his time, he is known for his novels that interweave diverse social and historical backgrounds, figures, and incidents, including the critically acclaimed Serenade for Nadia, Leyla’s House, My Brother’s Story, and The Eunuch of Constantinople, which were translated into 37 languages, won numerous international literary awards, and have been turned into movies, stage plays, and operas.
He has also written several successful works of non-fiction, including With Gorbachev on Revolution. Livaneli’s Turkish publisher Doğan-Egmont has sold over 5 million copies of Livaneli’s books in the last ten years. Notably, his novel Bliss, winner of the Barnes & Noble’s Discovery of Great New Writers Award, was one of the first books to tackle the highly charged subject of honour killings. Subsequently adapted for the screen, it was described by The New York Times as “a consistently gripping, visually intoxicating film, standing as a landmark of contemporary Turkish cinema.” His latest novel Disquiet (2017) sold more than 500,000 copies and keeps selling still.
As a political activist, Livaneli was held under military detention during the coup of 1971 and had to leave Turkey in 1972. He lived in Stockholm, Paris, Athens and New York where he met and collaborated with artists and intellectuals such as Elia Kazan, Arthur Miller, James Baldwin and Peter Ustinov among others. His cultural and political activities and contributions to world peace were recognized by UNESCO in 1995 when he was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador– a post he still holds today. He also served a term in the Turkish Parliament as well as in the Council of Europe. In 2014 Livaneli received the Legion d’Honneur, the highest French order of merits.
Livaneli is also a highly acclaimed composer and has composed more than three hundred songs, including a rhapsody recorded by London Symphony Orchestra, and a ballet. His compositions have been performed by internationally renowned artists such as Joan Baez, Maria Farantouri, María del Mar Bonet, Udo Lindenberg, Haris Alexiou, Jocelyn B. Smith, and Kate Westbrook. Livaneli has also written thirty film soundtracks including the soundtrack for “Yol” (The Path) which won the Palmes D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. His recordings have been released in the USA, Sweden, Germany, Holland and France, and he has given numerous concerts throughout the world. His 1997 Ankara concert was attended by no less than 500 thousand people and he has been distinguished with many music awards throughout his career, including “Best Album of the Year” (Greece), the “Edison Award” (Holland), “Best Album of the Year” (Music Critics Guild of Germany), and the “Premio Luigi Tenco” Best Songwriter Award.
Elizabeth is proud to be representing Livaneli in all rights worldwide.
